CHAPTER VII, SECTION Z One important item of work after Brave was the salvaging of personal effects at all camps at Bikini. Due to the possibility of claims arising from toss of personal effects, this work was planned in detail and performed under close surveillance of supervisors and Military Police. All personal effects were placed ino lockers or packaged, properly identified, and then shipped to Elmer. At this site, personnel picked up their belongings after verification with a que-tionnaire which they had previously submitted covenng the effects that were left at Brkimi at the time of Bravo evacuation. The roll-up of the Tare and Nan camp facilities proceeded as a parallel operation with the preparation for succeeding tests. Fhe bottleneck was interatoll transportation. and acvantage was taken of every opportunity that was offered to ship rolled-up equipment to Elmer. As an example, the LSD Belle Grove was loaded with salvaged and recovered equipment when it departed Bikini to pick vn Stations 30 and 40. Figure 7-2. The LSPs would beach or retract: only at or near high tide. The working schedules of the men engaved in loading these vessels were biased somewhat on tidal conditions so that the LST would remain on the beach a minimum of time. It was not unusual tor men to work during the mieht hours, Atter the Koon event. the LST. were not permittca to beach at any site in Bikini Atoll. Loading of these vessels thereatter was accemplished by ferrving cargo by light marine crait to the ship's side where it was picked up by a erane which the Contractor had placed on the ship's top deck. Vehicles and rollini stack were loaded onto the tank deck of the LST by marrying the ramp of the vessel with the ramp of an LUM. as shown in Figures 7-2 and 7-5. A partial removal of camp equipment and materials trom the Ursula area tonk place as part of the prepavation for the Echo test. (This does not include the removal of any scientific equipment). Howeser, on 14 April 1944, the Marrving the Ramp of an LST with the Ramp of an LCM Page 7-5