British nuclear test in Australia 1953
Wed Dec 10, 2014 5:54 am
Something that may not be known be many.... is that in 1953 off the coast of Western Australian ..... at Monte Bello Islands...... a atomic bomb test was conducted by the British. It was called Operation Hurricane and involved Australian military personnel in various ways - ships and aircraft.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdmDRKM ... n-zC6l9COw .
Now what is interesting is that i recall reading a book discussing british nuclear tests and the fallout issues both airborne and on military personnel.
It is known that many of the Australian aircraft flying around the area were C-47 Dakotas and Arvo Lincolins as shown in the film, which in some cases flew through the cloud on patrol to track it as it spreaded towards the Australian mainland....thus became contaminated and hot....
As i understand many of these RAAF aircraft continued in service for a while ........while others were scrapped at various bases around Australia....quite soon?.
Does anyone have a list of what RAAF aircraft were used in Monte Bello and where did they end up at?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdmDRKM ... n-zC6l9COw .
Now what is interesting is that i recall reading a book discussing british nuclear tests and the fallout issues both airborne and on military personnel.
It is known that many of the Australian aircraft flying around the area were C-47 Dakotas and Arvo Lincolins as shown in the film, which in some cases flew through the cloud on patrol to track it as it spreaded towards the Australian mainland....thus became contaminated and hot....
As i understand many of these RAAF aircraft continued in service for a while ........while others were scrapped at various bases around Australia....quite soon?.
Does anyone have a list of what RAAF aircraft were used in Monte Bello and where did they end up at?
Re: British nuclear test in Australia 1953
Wed Dec 10, 2014 3:51 pm
Interesting video. In most ways it mirrors our own nuclear tests.
Somewhat off the subject, but during many of our tests in Nevada various aircraft and vehicles were "nuked". Collins Foundation "Nine-o-Nine" being one (three different blasts). That XF-90 held in the restoration area of the NMUSAF is another. In movie footage of operation Tumbler-Snapper there are quite a few P-47s (I guess by the time frame I should say "F-47s"
), F-86s a B-29 or two and a B-45. I have often wondered what became of all of the Jugs. Well, all of the M26s, M4s, etc.. I know that when Nine-O-Nine was bought she was part of 800 tons of material disposed of, but as the XF-90 was left on the test site until several years ago I wonder if maybe there is a P-47, or two as well. Lttle shows up on Google Earth.
Somewhat off the subject, but during many of our tests in Nevada various aircraft and vehicles were "nuked". Collins Foundation "Nine-o-Nine" being one (three different blasts). That XF-90 held in the restoration area of the NMUSAF is another. In movie footage of operation Tumbler-Snapper there are quite a few P-47s (I guess by the time frame I should say "F-47s"
), F-86s a B-29 or two and a B-45. I have often wondered what became of all of the Jugs. Well, all of the M26s, M4s, etc.. I know that when Nine-O-Nine was bought she was part of 800 tons of material disposed of, but as the XF-90 was left on the test site until several years ago I wonder if maybe there is a P-47, or two as well. Lttle shows up on Google Earth.
Re: British nuclear test in Australia 1953
Wed Dec 10, 2014 4:53 pm
A bit in line with the warbirds that were used for nuclear testing there was a British Centurion tank that was used in the nuclear testing in Australia and then returned to service with less than positive results for the crews.
http://io9.com/the-atomic-tank-survived-a-nuclear-test-then-went-to-w-1542451635
http://io9.com/the-atomic-tank-survived-a-nuclear-test-then-went-to-w-1542451635