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First British Atomic TestPrint Page 
The monument erected on the 50th anniversary of Operation Hurricane commemorates the first British Atomic Test.
Operation Hurricane was the test of the first British atomic device on 3 October 1952. A plutonium implosion device was detonated in the lagoon between the Montebello Islands, Western Australia. To test the effects of a ship-smuggled bomb (a threat of great concern to the British at the time), Hurricane was exploded inside the hull of HMS Plym (a 1,370-ton River class frigate) which was anchored in 12 metres (39 ft) of water, 350 metres (1,150 ft) off Trimouille Island. The explosion occurred 2.7 metres (8 ft 10 in) below the water line, and left a saucer-shaped crater on the seabed 6 metres (20 ft) deep and 300 metres (980 ft) across.
Location
| Address: | Trimouille Island, Monte Bello Islands, 6712 |
|---|---|
| State: | WA |
| Area: | Foreign |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -20.401987 Long: 115.570609 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Monument |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | Government |
| Sub-Theme: | Foreign |
| Actual Event Start Date: | 03-10-1952 |
Dedication
| Approx. Monument Dedication Date: | 2002 |
|---|
Test Site
Totem 1
A British atomic weapon was test exploded here
15 Oct 1953
Warning
Radiation Hazard
Radiation levels for a few hundred metres around this point may be above those considered safe for permanent occupation
