大象传媒

鈥淏atten down the hatches鈥� the familiar order before the Ship went into action. Where were we going? No-body knew. It must be a secret because there were on Standing Orders, 鈥淣o Nothing鈥�, the talk amongst the crew was rife. Twelve hours out to sea we were instructed to undertake 鈥淓xtra Damage鈥� control, there were no reasons given except that we had to get below the water line and use all the lower conning positions. That was why I was down in the Engine room. All I remember was what sounded like a depth charge. The next morning we arrived off Hiroshima.

As I was the official photographer, I was ordered to get dressed in this 鈥渟pace suit鈥� 鈥� mask, goggles, gloves and boots. There I was, sealed in a suite I had never seen before, camera round my neck, and I was told to go and 鈥渢ake photographs of the bomb damage.鈥�

It was like walking on the Moon. Each step threw up dust, everything I touched was powder, it was awful. I saw a child鈥檚 tricycle but no child, there were dead bodies all around me. The heat was tremendous, the closer I got to what was left of the buildings the more intense the heat; I couldn鈥檛 get close enough to take the photos. The smell was horrible, like burnt pork dinner, and I wanted to be sick. I saw things that I do not want to remember, but which I can鈥檛 forget. I wanted to scream, but there was no one to hear me. I looked around and thought 鈥淚 have to get out of here.鈥�

Despite the suit, I must have got too much radiation, and I think I must have got something in my boot. My toenails haven鈥檛 grown properly since, and my love life was affected if you know what I mean.

In the circumstances, I would do it again- after all I was following orders in a time of war. But with hindsight, knowing what I know now, I would have disobeyed the order.

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