What an intriguing letter from Gordon Anderson about the USS Curtis, a seaplane tender in the first American hydrogen bomb test of 1952 (The Argus, March 14).
As well as hosing down the wooden decks for ten days until fallout had dropped below danger level, it must have been very difficult to decontaminate the high pressure Babcock and Wilcox Express boiler and engine rooms.
The Americans kicked the British out of the joint research projects after discovering the Russians' first atom bomb was identical to the one dropped on Hiroshima in 1945.
As the Cold War made it vital for Britain to catch up, in June 1955 US-UK co-operation restarted.
But, through it all, there was humour.
A sailor asked the officer of the watch: "Sir, how can we get rid of the ship's nuclear glow? We can be seen for miles at night."
To which the officer replied: "Why do you think we've got all those extra tins of lead grey paint on board?"
CND kept everyone slim and fit.
-John Stanaway, Hove
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