DEATH FOR A MILLION

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 34, 7 October 1946, Page 3

DEATH FOR A MILLION

BOX FROM CANADA NO SPECIAL GUARD FOR MP 395 A small box, handed by the guard from the luggage van of a train standing at Didcot Station, Berkshire, contained sufficient MP 395 to destroy the whole of Glasgow or Central London. Yet it was carried throughout its 3500-mile journey from Canada by air,' train and car as ordinary luggage. No special precautions were taken; at times it was unguarded. MP 395 is the scientific term for radium beryllium, deadly alternative to uranium in the release of atomic energy for military or industrial purposes. And the supply reached this country in response to an urgent call from the Ministry of Supply, who wanted it for immediate experimental work at Britain’s atomic research station at Harwell, near Didcot. The box, weighing 1001 b., contained only 0.6 grammes of berylium The rest of the weight was taken up by the lead casket which was necessary to shield, fellow passengers and the outside world generally from its dangerous radio-activ-ity."

Although this small supply of MP 395, a fine powder, cannot be used as an explosive without further refinement, the box contained more potential energy than the Bikini atom'bombs. The “back-room boys” at Harwell have begun their experiments to see just how powerful MP 395 is and how far they can go in using it for the release of atomic energy. Here are the details of the journey, stage by stage:—

Air: The crew of the Lancastrian flying boat from Montreal to Prestwick knew—but the ten passengers did not—that the small, brown-paper-wrapped box at the pilot’s right hand carried enough potential energy to wipe out any British city except London. ‘ Train: The box, placed in a sealed mailbag, travelled side by side with ordinary letter-mail and parcels. Passengers did not know that there was anything unusual in the luggage. Car: From Prestwick to Kilmarnock, from Euston to Paddington, and again from Didcot station to Harwell, the box was dumped without ceremony on the seats of Ministry of Supply cars.