Operation Grapple Yankee - Decontamination of Aircraft
Dear Ministry of Defence,
On April 28, 1958, the British Government detonated the most powerful Hydrogen Bomb built by the UK. It was detonated at a height of 8,000 feet off the Southern tip of Christmas Island, located 2 degrees above the Equator and 156 degrees West.
After the detonation, a number of aircraft flying in the vicinity of Christmas island became contaminated with Radio Active particles. On landing they were ordered to the Decontamination Pans located adjacent to the Airfield. Where they were washed down and decontaminated of external radioactive particles.
I would like to get a schedule of all the aircraft decontaminated at Christmas Island on April 28,1958. To included: Aircraft Number, Type, Crew, level of Contamination for each aircraft cleaned and the amount of water needed to clean each aircraft.
This data should be well documented and stored in AWE archives, and should be readily accessible.
Thank you!
Yours faithfully,
Joseph Pasquini
Dear Mr Pasquini.
Thank you for your email of 21 November 2011 requesting the following
information:
“On April 28, 1958, the British Government detonated the most
powerful Hydrogen Bomb built by the UK. It was detonated at a
height of 8,000 feet off the Southern tip of Christmas Island,
located 2 degrees above the Equator and 156 degrees West.
After the detonation, a number of aircraft flying in the vicinity
of Christmas island became contaminated with Radio Active
particles. On landing they were ordered to the Decontamination Pans
located adjacent to the Airfield. Where they were washed down and
decontaminated of external radioactive particles.
I would like to get a schedule of all the aircraft decontaminated
at Christmas Island on April 28,1958. To included: Aircraft Number,
Type, Crew, level of Contamination for each aircraft cleaned and
the amount of water needed to clean each aircraft.
This data should be well documented and stored in AWE archives, and
should be readily accessible”
Your request is being dealt with under the terms of the Freedom of
Information Act and will be answered within twenty working days. I will,
therefore, write to you again by 19 December 2011 with either a
substantive response or an update on your request.
If you have any queries about this request, please do not hesitate to
contact me. Please remember to quote reference number
22-11-2011-1029954-002 in any future communications.
Regards
DE&S Policy Secretariat
Dear Mr Pasquini
Please find attached a response to your recent Freedom of Information
request.
Regards
DES Policy Secretariat
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Fred WP Dawson left an annotation ()
You might find something here
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/pro/p-def16.htm