Many people may not be aware that back in 1950-60s , Australia was a key player - and oh too willing due to the government in power at the time - in testing nuclear weapons.
The British Government decided after searching the world in late 1940s that Australia would make a fine test centre.
Nuclear fallout was deemed safe and wouldnt harm anyone - quoted the UK government.
So in the early 1950s, the British began testing nuclear devices off the north western coast of Western Australia at a island called Monte Bello and aslo at Maralinga and Emu - in central and north South Australia.
These various nuclear tests , detonated devices up until 1958. One involved up to a rumoured 98 ktn device at Monte Bello. The US dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 and were low 20ktns... and they did massive damage.
That 98ktn is only what the UK has released... many suspect it was larger.
Many British and Australian civil and milirary personel who were used in the many tests as support staff, were exposed to dangerously high radiation levels - one group were reported placed around 2miles from a test at Monte Bello in a bunker.
Protection and safety in the 1950s was basic sandals, shorts, goggles and a rad badge - if it worked at all. Checking the exposure was not followed through in cases recorded so most veterans have no idea what their true dose of radiation was.
Tests in South Australia blew fallout - sometimes heavy all around Australia and overseas - even as far as the USA i understand in some recordings. Heavy local contamination was found.
In the 1960s the areas now not doing atmospheric tests were in South Australia used for dangerous tests on fallout of explosions and localised radioactivity effects. Plutonium and many nasty by products were merely bulldozed into the ground in some cases of "cleaning up" in late 1960s in a cheap and poorly done UK cleanup..
In the 1990s-2000s millions of dollars was spent cleaning Maralinga up and if you google it you will see massive cleared areas now showing the pits and testing areas.
Many people totally forget or dont know Australia suffered deeply for these tests.
Most veterans suffered cancers and horrific injuries from radiation. Some even died in 1950-60s at 20-30yrs age in the worst cases. Nuclear weapons testing killed many people and injured thousands more. Kids have grown up with radiation defects even in whole families.
Why is this related to aviation?
Not only were many aircraft used such as Valiant bombers over South Australia, Lincolin bombers for tests sorties, C-47 Dakota for sample and Canberra for tests flight in nuclear clouds... but Australia also contributed a few key interesting targets.
In the Emu tests in Australia in early 1950s, the RAAF used some CAC (NAA licensed) P-51 Mustangs as ground targets. The first ever Mustang A68-1 was one of these aircraft exposed and results recorded.
In the late 1960s, it was salvaged on the spot and restored to running. It was flown out of the test site and onto Adelaide for more checks.
Here are 3 clips showing the "Hot" Mustangs as they were in the 1950s-1960s.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8_xQcfl ... r_embeddedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Snhrqd5R ... r_embeddedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA1wvAiu ... r_embeddedI hope this insight makes people aware that Australia has paid a heavy price for nuclear weapon testing.
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