You can imagine the problem I had. I had to arrange the assembly and transport of all meteorological and ancillary equipment—radiosonde, wind-finding, surface observations, maps, stationery, etc. without telling Bill Brann.

When I returned to our office Bill Brann asked 'what did the Director want with you?'. I replied 'I can't tell you'. Bill walked off very annoyed.

The next morning Bill said 'I will leave the matter in your hands. However, if you miss out on anything it will be on your head'. I can assure you that I double checked on everything in the time available to me. But I was on my own. The secrecy of the project was so profound that only those directly involved were aware of what was going on.

I built the Meteorological Office building at Emu Field from just a peg in the ground in the middle of the desert. When I arrived on site (just me) I was taken to the Camp Director, Brigadier Lucas. I knew him because I had met him when he was the Director of Works in Western Australia. He welcomed me and said I had the acting rank of Captain, 12 men and one corporal carpenter. I said to him 'what do I want with these men?'. He pulled back the fly of the tent and said 'see that white peg—that's it'.

When Harry Ashton and Henry Phillpot arrived on site the building was a going concern, with very comfortable chairs and furniture. These chairs etc could have been for Sir William Penny, but as the aircraft was unloaded I found them first, so first in first served.

Sir William Penny (Director of Atomic Tests) came down to the Meteorological Office for morning tea each morning. He commented on several occasions that it was the most comfortable building on the site. He was probably sitting in the chair originally allocated to him.

Bureau of Meteorology