This from a friend of mine. We were on the same RAAF pilots course all those years ago.
Well Centaurus. - your story is gripping in recognition of the bravery of the pilot and crew (records I have indicate that the crew members of the RAF Canberra were Wing Commander Dhenin, and Group Captains Wilson & Anderson (all RAF). Wg Cdr G Dhenin was the pilot, Grp Capt D Wilson was an RAF Specialist in Radiology (initiator of the flight trial - probably flying as an observer), and Grp Capt Anderson was the navigator). Of course the three of them were 'Flying Guinea Pigs'!
Points of correction and interest:
1. I witnessed Totem 1 from 14 miles away as one of the official observers, (Note: It was "Totem 1" not "Hurricane" - which was the name of the first Monte Bello tests),
2. It was at Emu claypan (original name 'Dingo', not Maralinga (we hadn't even surveyed where Maralinga was going to be at that stage - that is another story),
3. To us it was always referred to as X-200 (very hush hush),
4. It was the 15th October, not the 13th
5. I watched the Canberra fly through the cloud and thought what brave bastards they are!
6. See the attached photo and the stamp/writing on the back, autographed by Sir William Penney, UK Chief Scientist and Mr C A Adams, UK Scientific Superintendent. (just a little showing-off here - although the autograph by Sir William Penney has me as Sgt Scaife, in fact I had been commissioned as Pilot Officer as from 1 October, but the RAAF hadn't got around to telling me!
7. When flying the Press back to Adelaide about an hour after the explosion we flew over the detonation site on the climb out in Bristol
A81-4, and all you could see was a very large cicle of blackened devastation!
8. I have a photo-copy of relevant pages of a report entitled "A History of British Atomic Tests in Australia" by Dr J L Symonds, Consultant, Nijelo Pty Ltd, April 1985, which contains a wealth of information, including our Bristol & York flying and the air sampling by RAAF Lincolns and Dakotas.
Regards
Roy
PS Perhaps I should join to contribute to PPRuNe - how do I do that?