Gold Coast Australia. A story of my involvement in the testing of 2 Atom and 2 Hydrogen Nuclear Bombs
INTRODUCTION
It all started in April 1958 when at the age of eighteen I decided to join the RAF when I went to the recruiting office in Glasgow where I had an interview and after sitting some tests was informed that I lacked the educational level to study my chosen field of electronics, having left school at the age of fifteen this was not a great surprise but was informed that at the end of basic training I would be posted to an Air Base where the facilities would be available to gain the required qualifications, it was also made clear that it would require a nine-year commitment to pursue this, so I signed up for the required time.
After a short time, it was off to basic training at RAF Bridgnorth where after several weeks we were paraded and informed that this was the point where we had to decide to continue or opt-out, the command was then given “one step forward if you do not want to continue” obviously I stayed put. Approximately two weeks later, just prior to pass out, I was summoned to the Flight Office and informed that I was posted overseas to Christmas Island for a period of twelve months. I stood there wondering what all this meant but being a raw green recruit was not about to question it. This decision turned out to be contrary to the promise regarding my ongoing education.
THE TRIP
After embarkation leave, I joined a group of approximately eighty and spent a few days at RAF Cardington, where we were kitted out and received inoculations. Then off to Heathrow Airport picking up a BOAC flight to New York where we had a twenty-four-hour stop-over, staying at the Governor Clinton Hotel, little did I know then that this name would be that of a President that was famous for all the wrong reasons. This stop-over provided us time to see all the sites, including Times Square, 42nd Street, etc. The next day we changed to American Airlines and headed for a fuel stop at Chicago and then to Los Angeles for another overnight stop with plenty of sightseeing, one of the major attractions was to visit Nob Hill where the movie, Pal Joey was made starring Frank Sinatra. The next morning we changed to PAM AM for the flight to Honolulu and then on to Christmas Island, this aircraft had two decks, one being a lounge where we spent a lot of our time.
CHRISTMAS ISLAND
After many hours of flying over the Pacific Ocean, the Captain of the aircraft announced that we were approaching Christmas Island and that he would fly the length of the island, banking to starboard and then port to give all a good view. Stretching out below we saw an island surrounded by a coral reef, with Palm Trees at one end, desolation at the other, and dotted with many lagoons and just prior to landing the tents of the main camp.
On landing and disembarking we were directed to the arrival tent, where each person’s name was called and then dispatched to their destination. At the end of this process, I was the only one left standing, this caused the arrivals person to look several times at his list and me, finally saying, “rank name and serial number” after my reply he stated, “you are not on the list so why are you here?” I simply replied, “I don’t know”. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has always claimed that the organisation regarding all aspects of Christmas Island was impeccable, yet no one was aware that I was coming! After a conversation with some others, he stated that the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment (AWRE) bods in Forward Bomb Area had requested some help so that is where they would send me.
On arrival in Forward Area, once again they had no idea that I was coming (more disorganisation). I then received an induction by an RAF Flight Sargent telling me that on this site there were no SHOWERS (bathing would be in the lagoon requiring saltwater soap), no ICE WATER, FOOD would be either frozen or canned, Tea, Coffee, and a foul-tasting, grey coloured cordial nicknamed “Jungle Juice” would be available at all meal times and in the evening. Eating utensils consisted of a knife, fork, spoon, mug, and a large metal plate with three sections, at mealtime this as you moved along the servery this often led to your soup running into the main meal which in turn ran into the sweet. I was further instructed that at the end of a meal, food scraps were to be dumped in a bin and to proceed to the water's edge and clean out the metal plate with saltwater and sand. Cameras were restricted to the accommodation area and anyone contravening this would be very severely dealt with. It became obvious that there were no education facilities on this site; so much regarding the promise to send me to a large Air Base where they would exist.
The accommodation area consisted of one large tent with no sides, a few smaller ones for the AWRE, a large mess tent with no sides, and a recreation tent where one brand of Lager or soft drink could be purchased but no spirits. I had a second talk from the AWRE telling me that being in Bomb Area and the closest personnel to GROUND ZERO would experience the EFFECTS of all DETONATIONS and was issued with a Radiation Film Badge. PROTECTIVE CLOTHING was never issued, our standard dress being SHORTS to which we clipped our Radiation Badge, which was never checked and prior to leaving the island was thrown into a Rubbish Bin (lack of safety Precautions), SANDALS, no socks, and no SHIRTS. I was then taken to the large tent with no sides and shown my space and told that due to no LOCKERS being available, to go up to the technical site dump and retrieve a couple of wooden crates. Army personnel occupied three-quarters of this tent and the remainder by our small RAF contingent. The next shock was that the only bed available was a small canvas one. These atrocious conditions were part of my life, something that no one should have had to endure.
At least after the first Atom Bomb test, I was moved into a smaller four-man tent, which at least had sides, but still no lockers or proper beds. After a day of settling in, I was taken a short stroll up to the technical site and introduced to two AWRE engineers, stating that I was to assist them in whatever way they deemed necessary. It was then explained that they were responsible for all communications including vehicle-mounted sets and recording sites and that this would require traveling all over Forward Area up to and including GROUND ZERO. Recreation was confined to the open-air Cinema once per week, which had no seats, swimming, fishing, sunbathing, and in the evening, the recreation tent.
Technical Site, Forward Area, and Bomb Tests
The technical site consisted of several small, lightly constructed aluminum huts and one large, heavy steel constructed building which were used for the control of all bomb tests. Forward Area, which included our site, was very barren where very little grew, and as I was to find out later the closer one got to ground zero the more desolate it became.
The morning after induction I started work with the AWRE Bods and was informed that we were going to be very busy because an Atom Bomb test was coming up in the near future. This prediction proved to be very true with us working long hours, up to twelve hours per day seven days a week, fitting out vehicles with two-way radios, and traveling throughout Forward Area preparing the recording sites. Then the big day arrived; I rose very early and after breakfast made my way to our small hut. After a short discussion, it was decided that one of the AWRE bods and I would travel to Ground Zero to start our checks.
On arrival we could see high up in the sky the Atom Bomb suspended from a large tethered balloon structure, the AWRE person said to me “Have a good look because in a short time it would all be gone". We then set off to visit the many recording sites located on our return trip. During this trip, we were informed that the COUNT DOWN had commenced, on hearing this the AWRE bod said to me, “You know, if our vehicle breaks down, I will report it over the radio, and time permitting someone will come and get us, if not your parents shall receive bad news from the government that you were killed in an unfortunate accident, obviously not told that you were blown to pieces by an Atom Bomb”. I said “You must be joking” and he replied “Do you think that with perfect weather conditions and the vast amount it costs for a test, that they will stop it for two clowns stuck out in the middle of nowhere”, all I could reply was “I guess not” so we carried on. I really thought that it was a joke, and on returning to the technical site, expected the other person to say “Caught you out with the joke about being blown to pieces” as this did not occur I was not too sure anymore.
The three of us then secured our hut and joined the rest of the personnel assembled on the beach, but the senior AWRE personnel locked themselves in the large steel building. We could hear the count down over the tannoy and when it reached twenty, were instructed to sit down in the sand, turn our backs to Ground Zero, close our eyes and cover them with the palms of our hands. Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, Five, Four, Three, Two, One, FLASH! Even with our eyes closed and covered with the palms of our hands, the flash lit up the complete inside my head, some personnel, later on, said they kept their eyes open, only covering them with the palms of the hands, and that they could see the bones of their hands just like an x-ray. The heat arrived at the same time and felt similar to someone throwing a bucket of very hot water over you. An announcement from the tannoy “All personnel can stand up and observe the explosion” but it was similar to looking at the sun, causing us to turn away, then as time passed it dulled and the famous mushroom cloud developed.
During this time another announcement from the tannoy ”Blast approaching, all personnel sit down, place your hands behind your neck and bend forward” then it hit rolling us forward, we told later on that if standing we would have been thrown off our feet. So the first test was over. Less than twenty-four hours later we made the trip to Ground Zero, its almost indescribable the desolation and bomb damage witnessed there, sand turned into glass, and the balloon carrier no longer in existence. It is obvious that the equipment handled at this time was contaminated with radiation.
I witnessed Two Atom and Two Hydrogen Bombs, the format being the same for all. The major difference was that Ground Zero for the Hydrogen Bombs was located slightly off the coast and they were dropped from an aircraft, their effects being far greater than the Atom Bombs. During my stay in Forward Area, I took ill, was immediately transported to the base hospital on the main camp, and put into an isolation ward. After a period of time I was released but no sensible reason was given why I had been put into the isolation ward. Coming from Forward Area and due to the close proximity to the tests, I think it could have been a case of radiation poisoning. Even though first denied, recently it was recognised that this medical emergency had occurred but a second medical emergency, later on, has not.
Bomb Clean Up
On arrival one morning after the four tests were over, I was informed that word had come from the senior management of the AWRE that as the tests were over and no more in the foreseeable future a cleanup procedure had to be carried out, which included the dismantling of recording sites and retrieval of all equipment. With all the equipment now back at our site the two AWRE personnel and I had the task of smashing it to pieces and throwing it into a large hole that had been dug by an Army Bulldozer, which once we were finished filled in the massive hole. Even though this equipment had not been cleaned in any manner and therefore contaminated, once again we were not issued with goggles, gloves, special boots, or protective overalls with hoods. I believe to this day that this dump still exists and was not known to the recent clean-up team that visited the Island recently.
Conclusion and After Effects
Various reports from the British Government have stated that personnel safety was a high priority at all times. The contents of my story prove that this is utter rubbish and that the location of all personnel, during and after tests was known, more rubbish because we traveled all over Forward Area and never reported to anyone where we were. I never received any medical checks, during or on return from the Island (more evidence of lack of safety procedures).
We have a severely disabled son born with Cerebral Palsy who requires twenty-four-hour care; our daughter has had a few medical problems, which thankfully were cleared up after treatment but my eyesight and hearing continue to decline.
