Back in the early 1950's my father helped to build the airstrip at Maralinga, in South Australia, where the Brits intended to test their weapons. He told us that he had witnessed one of these tests, and had indeed walked over the 'ground zero' of one site.
Apparently they are still 'hot' to this day.
Anyway, the other night, I was channel surfing on my TV, and I happened upon a story about Maralinga on one of the 'indigenous' channels, which I don't normally watch.
There on the screen, was the ominous mushroom cloud, with a figure watching in the foreground.
The figure turned around towards the camera, and blow me down if it wasn't my father!
I mean, I knew he had been there, but I hadn't realised that it had been captured on film!
In the meantime, I contacted the channel and requested a copy of the clip, hoping they will respond. Maybe it will form a part of our family history.
Dad died in 2009, just short of his 90th birthday.
As an aside, I myself have been to one of the sites of these atomic tests with the Navy, in the Montebello Islands, which was still hot 20 years after the blasts. The water there is crystal clear, and the sand is brilliant white.
As another aside, my brother - also in the Navy, had also been to the Montebello Islands before me. Whether the cancer that killed him is as a result of that is a moot point.
Apparently they are still 'hot' to this day.
Anyway, the other night, I was channel surfing on my TV, and I happened upon a story about Maralinga on one of the 'indigenous' channels, which I don't normally watch.
There on the screen, was the ominous mushroom cloud, with a figure watching in the foreground.
The figure turned around towards the camera, and blow me down if it wasn't my father!
I mean, I knew he had been there, but I hadn't realised that it had been captured on film!
In the meantime, I contacted the channel and requested a copy of the clip, hoping they will respond. Maybe it will form a part of our family history.
Dad died in 2009, just short of his 90th birthday.
As an aside, I myself have been to one of the sites of these atomic tests with the Navy, in the Montebello Islands, which was still hot 20 years after the blasts. The water there is crystal clear, and the sand is brilliant white.
As another aside, my brother - also in the Navy, had also been to the Montebello Islands before me. Whether the cancer that killed him is as a result of that is a moot point.
