From the Archives of Flt Lt Joe Pasquini
“To look at us on the coral fore-shore of the Observation Area, half an hour before the explosion, no one would gave thought that anything important was about to happen. People had gathered in their marked-off sections, but there was almost a picnic atmosphere about the place: here and there groups were supping lemonade and eating sandwiches while others were playing cards. The man though, who really typified the nonchalance of the party was an Army barber who had calmly rigged a packing case seat for his customers and was doing a brisk business.”
This, incredibly, is an extract from the ‘Souvenir Supplement’ of the Mid-Pacific News of August 1958 and was written by ‘our reporter at the Observation Area’. It is a first-hand account, in writing, of what was happening on the ground 10 minutes before the explosion of Grapple Z1 ‘Pennant’ on August 22nd,1958.
Grapple Z1 ‘Pennant’ is notable as it was the first in a series of 4 tests – this particular one being suspended in the air by a balloon before it was detonated. Sources say it was a 24-kiloton atomic bomb. For comparison the yield from Little Boy which was dropped on Hiroshima was estimated to be 15 kilotons and that of Big Man which dropped on Nagasaki was 21 kilotons.
The bomb which instantly killed an estimated 80,000 people in Hiroshima occurred on August 6th,1945 and three days later on August 9th, 1945 an estimated 40,000 people were instantly obliterated in Nagasaki. This of course does not include the radioactive fallout which would go on to kill many more … and the impact of radiation damage which would impact the health and well being of many generations to come.
Yet 13 years later the British, most likely being very aware of the damage caused at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, were essentially having the equivalent of what appears to be a tea party 10 minutes before an even stronger atomic weapon is detonated in the skies above their heads.
The writer of the ‘Souvenir Supplement’ continues:
“At H minus 10 we were told turn away from Ground Zero, and conversation gradually died. As the final seconds ticked away no one spoke, and there was silence apart from the noise of the breakers swirling on the reef and the cry of a frigate bird circling above.”
“5..4..3..2..1..FLASH..ABOUR TURN.. we felt a momentary touch of heat on our backs, and turned around to see what we could see.”
“In the distance a bloodshot glow illuminated the horizon where we had last seen the balloons; as it slowly faded away a surge of could forged out on either side, like an enormous tidal wave. Then for a few seconds nothing seemed to happen and people began to wonder about the mushroom we had all heard so much about. Suddenly everyone pointed at once; above an obscuring of (word illegible), lit by the morning sun, crept the roseate head of the nuclear cloud. It climbed and towered and then boiled over to form the now familiar mushroom boss.”
“We waited and watched for another few moments and then moved back to the transport that was ready for us.”
It is quite incredible to think, especially with all of the knowledge that we have in these more modern times on the damage that radiation does to DNA in addition to the catastrophic effects of nuclear explosions, the nonchalance being observed 10 minutes before the detonation of an atomic bomb. Today one only has to say snowstorm to have a community go into an all-out panic and clear the supermarket shelves of milk and bread.
It is quite interesting, imagining that all of the players – from those in the highest places of government to those on site on the ground, in the sea, and in the air - knew about the devastating effects of ‘Little Boy’ and ‘Big Man’ that they could go about their business so calmly.
And we know that they knew of the impact of Little Boy and Big Man as the publisher of this ‘Souvenir Supplement’ printed, at the top of the second column:
“Those atomic weapons based on the principle of nuclear fission, which caused such devastation to the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II, were some hundreds of times less powerful than those British megaton bombs which have already been exploded off Christmas Island. These smaller weapons do however have certain strategic uses, and for this reason tests will be continued to determine the most effective military role of the kiloton type bomb”
Yet our men, in the face of it all, drank lemonade, ate sandwiches, and got a haircut …
… Could we say that this “Keep Calm and Carry On” in its highest form for Britishness?
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You can find more information about the Grapple Z tests here:
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