Description
Object description
Mute rushes from Operation Hurricane - the first of Britain's atomic weapons tests - conducted off the Montebello Islands in October 1952. Includes shots of the scientists and military personnel (notably including Sir Penney and Admiral Torlesse) who witnessed the event, as well as sweeping long shots of skies in the background, capturing the mushroom cloud after the detonation.
Content description
Shot listing as recorded by AWRE at the time of filming (with original shot listing referring to scientists as 'boffins' and individuals as 'bods'):
"V.L.S. Cloud - group of boffins and Teddy [Catford] with camera in foreground of the Campania.
M.S. Two camera operators rush across camera onto plaform and pan camera onto cloud.
M.S. Three bods standing near Land Rover. Camera platform in foreground.
L.S. H.I. site [Hermite Island] cloud dispersing.
V.L.S. Ditto.
V.L.S. Cloud. Road in foreground, two figures on road ambling along.
V.L.S. Ditto. Pan to cloud platform which is dispersing.
M.S. Three bods hiking.
M.L.S. Bods walking down jetty towards camera and L.C.M.
M.S. Bods boarding L.C.M. from jetty.
M.S. Bods boarding L.C.M. from jetty (from side).
L.S. Bods walking off jetty right to left.
L.S. Bods walking onto jetty left to right.
L.S. Two L.C.Ms at jetty and either side.
L.S. Bods walking from Land Rover to jetty.
M.L.S. Bods running towards jetty.
M.S. Bods including Mr Adams board L.C.M. from jetty.
M.S. Ditto
M.S. Tilt down to bod calling roll.
M.S. Tilt down to roll caller, pan left as he walks away.
M.L.S. Line-up of sailors on Campania waiting for bang.
M.S. Group of ship's officers.
M.S. Tilt down onto rather harassed looking Sir William Penney.
M.S. Tilt down to Admiral Torlesse, tilt up to cloud.
M.S. Group of bods on L.C.M.
M.S. Bods looking over side of L.C.M.
M.S. Tilt down onto two bods dozing on L.C.M.
M.S. 7 bods including Sir Adams, leaving on L.C.M. ramp.
M.L.S. From front of L.C.M facing aft, bods sitting and standing.
V.L.S. Pan left across islands, clouds very much dispersed.
M.S. Two bods sitting outside tent, eating and reading.
C.S. Ditto.
M.S. Bod attempting to reverse Land Rover at jetty.
L.S. Bod leaps from L.C.M. to jetty with rope.
M.S. Bods walking off jetty, left to right.
M.S. Bods board Land Rover and drive off, pan left to right.
Aerial shots, track along Onslow Pier to Onslow.
Ditto Onslow.
L.S. HMS Hawkesbury F363 patrolling right to left.
Ditto, going away.
Name plate of Hawkesbury.
M.L.S. Tilt down onto small fishing smack alongside.
Aerial shots of Montebello Islands.
Aerial shot - flypast H.I. [Hermite Island]
Aerial shots - fly round coast of Trimouille Island.
Fly past H.I. closer than previous shot.
Fly past, Campania at anchor.
M.S. Teddy with two cameras facing cloud.
M.S. Tilt down, six boffins with cameras; cloud in background.
M.S. Three boffins with cameras.
M.C.S. Boffins with cameras.
C.S. Teddy with Mitchell camera.
C.S. Boffin with Rolleflex camera.
M.S. 4 bods walking towards camera, exit left, pan right. H.I. with cloud.
C.S. Small boffin with moustache and spectacles (Mr Walker)
L.S. L.C.M. following in wake of camera boat.
L.S. Part of island from sea, with cloud over.
L.S. Two L.C.Ms following in wake of camera boat.
M.S. Tilt down to Sir William Penney and Admiral Torlesse as they turn round after explosion.
M.L.S. Sir William Penney and Admiral Torlesse watching cloud in background."
Physical description
35mm