1 Auster (Piper Cub type) for insect spraying and Light jobs Plus 3 Dakotas, which are used to supply the outlying weather stations. ce, London Port has been dredged to about 9 feet in depth for use of landing craft. The 3 destroyers, one LST. and 3 tenders usually anchor well outside the reef or tie to buoys (No aireraft carrier in this operation). 4. After the view of the station we decided that we would take advantage of the 3-day delay by returning to Pearl where We talked to representatives of the Commander in Chief, Pacific and our respective Service commanders, and were back on Christmas Island the evening before the shot. The day of the shot the main camp was completely evacuated. We were the last to go to the JOC, We gathered they did not want us on hand until the drop We learned that the operation would be aircraft had taken off. A delayed about a half hour from the scheduled 0730 shot time, Liberian freighter had been sighted in the danger area. After a5 ofclock sighting by a Shackleton patrol aircraft the British were able to talk with the ship "“EFFY" only on the distress Frequency (500 KCS). They advised her to reverse course and clear She danger area, In the meantime, the British destroyer, COSSAK, Was sveaming toward her to escort her out of darger. Fortunately, oy shot time she was about 45 miles away with the escort vessel ntegting close by, advising her with regard-to the actual time the snot would go and then releasing her to pass clear of Christmas Vella, 5» About 30 minutes before shot time we were escorted to the ou and permitted to listen to the reports on the aircraft circuit “sbrol aircraft, as well as the drop aircraft and 1ts escort and “hie Sampling aircraft, were now in position, An initial run was mute by the drop aircraft to check existing wind conditions and ceumli everyone to get in tune with the operation. CEMiNg Tun. Then came the 6, It is interesting to know that the live run started about y mites North of JOC and passed within 3 miles of control. The sano Line passed over the Northeast corner of Christmas Island rinfaeld across the Bay of Wrecks with a Surface Zero point 14 seconds {at 425 knots) beyond the Southernmost point of the Island. Jne Valiant aircraft was making 425 knots over the ground, flying al; about 45,000 feet, The burst was in the meighborhood of 8,00C feet above the water. The group of personnel we were stand- ing with in JOC were told to face away from the burst and were not. permitted to leave the building until 15 seconds had elapsed after the snot. We were given no special equipment and were told to weep our eyes closed, At the end of 15 seconds we rushed ovtside tc 5Q observe the fire ball for a matter of about 10 seconds before 4% disappeared in cloud cover, The fire ball appeared to have a dlameter of about 3500 yards and at 30 seconds after the explosion seemed to be about one diameter above the earth. This was difficult to gauge because of the coconut palms about us obliterating the horlzon, The shock Wave arrived with a terrific crack to the ears and it was followed in about 10 seconds with a double lesser crack and again in double even lighter crack, about @ seconds with another The rumble persisted for several minutes as the shock wave traveled away from us. Due to the moist