Our Oral History Archive
Learn more about the human impacts regarding the use of nuclear weaponry by reading through our interview and oral history archives.
-Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima, August 6, 1945
-Atomic Bombing of Nagasaki, August 9, 1945
-Operation Grapple 1957-1958
-Mururoa 1973
Reader Discretion Advised
Due to the nature of the topics and transcripts, reader discretion is advised.
‘It was 8:15am.
All of a sudden, the eastern sky became dazzling white and a big bang with an air shock smashed the glass windows. Shattered glass fell into the room. Akiko instantly tried to cover her children to protect us from falling glass. We had no idea what was happening. All we could do was to pray to God and wait for time to pass.’
Takaaki (James) Morikawa
‘I walked around looking for my father and mother and older sister, but I couldn’t find them. So many people were burned, and their faces were swollen, and so burned, we can’t recognise who they are. I was so small, so I tried to find my family.’
-Age 6 at the time.
Fumiaki Kajiya
’My name is Nobuko Sugino. I was a year and 6 months old when the atomic bomb dropped in Hiroshima. Of course, I do not have the memories around those time. After I grew up, I asked my mother one day. I thought I need to hear from her before she is gone or else, I will know nothing about that day. The story I am going to tell you is what my mother had shared…’
Nobuku Sugino
Operation Grapple
A New Zealand Perspective
1957 – 1958
Thank you to the individuals who shared their time and stories:
Bill and Margaret Bradley- New Zealand Nuclear Test Vetean and his wife
Brian and Patricia Harnor- New Zealand Nuclear Test Vetean and his wife
Carole Cowan and Linda Moore shared the story of George Bryce Cowan (Hank)- New Zealand Nuclear Test Veteran (deceased)
Clive Strickett- New Zealand Nuclear Test Veteran
Gerry Wright- New Zealand Nuclear Test Veteran
Ivan McCabe- New Zealand Nuclear Test Veteran
John and Judith Hird- New Zealand Nuclear Test Veteran and his wife
Lindsay Roberts- New Zealand Nuclear Test Veteran
Michael Toomath- New Zealand Nuclear Test Veteran
Peter Hamilton- New Zealand Nuclear Test Veteran
Ruth McKenzie – Widow of New Zealand Nuclear Test Veteran (deceased)
Roy Sefton – New Zealand Nuclear Test Veteran (deceased)
Tere Tahi- New Zealand Nuclear Test Veteran
Brian and Patricia Harnor
Brian Harnor was present during the Grapple tests in the Pacific.
“I was a teenager at the time but I would say probably half the crew were teenagers. You know, that’s a fact of life in the Services. But, I mean at the time the experience was just another adventure, you know? It was another trip to somewhere in the world we hadn’t been to, the Pacific.
H-bomb testing, well, we didn’t know anything about it really…”
When reflecting on his experience Harnor said,
“I’m not really damaged, just a little bent in a couple of places.”
Carole Cowan (wife) and Linda Moore (daughter) of George Bryce Cowan 'Hank',
Operation Grapple Veteran
“…once they have been in the Navy it is with them for life, and I think most of them would say that with Operation Grapple. I don’t think he ever regretted joining the Navy, he loved it, but Operation Grapple turned out to be a terrible thing. At the time I think he thought of it as being an adventure. He loved his time in the Navy. But even at the time when he was there, because they didn’t know the long-term implications and they were young, I think dad said at times, ‘this isn’t quite right- the fishing and the swimming.’ He said he can remember the planes coming back from dropping the bombs with all the paint being stripped.”
-Moore
Clive Strickett
Grapple Y: “While we had our hands over our eyes, I could see an X-ray of my hands.”
When thinking back to his experience after witnessing the bombs, Strickett said,
“All we had to do there was patrol and patrol and patrol, and while we were doing that we ran out of water so they decided, good old New Zealand way, ‘we’ll catch the rain.’ So they put up the big quarter-deck awning and they put a dip in it, and then we started steaming. Instead of steaming in a straight line, follow the rain cloud over there and we’ll go get some water and over here, and it literally half filled the awning with water. And, we were washing in it, drinking it and all that stuff, it was full of contaminants and no one knew.”
Gerry Wright
“Finally, in April, 2022, the British Government announced that every civilian and serviceman who had been present at any of those 21 tests would be awarded a medal. I then considered the fact that sailors and their dependants had little knowledge of the whole story. So, I searched to find a book that told the whole story from A to Z. There was none, so I compiled one.”
Ivan McCabe
Ivan McCabe was present during the Grapple tests.
“It was something that we did, we did it because it was our duty to be there…” Then came the crack, then came the boom, then we were given the command to stand up and turn around, and when you turned around you saw the mushroom cloud starting to form and the colours; the reds, the oranges as this thing slowly grew.
John and Judith Hird
John Hird was present during Operation Grapple in the Pacific. He recalled his experience witnessing his first bomb test and the implications which it has had on his health since.
“Now, we were allowed on the upper deck, fully clothed, goggles, and when I put my hands over my eyes and the flash went off, I could see the bones in my fingers.”
Hird shares intresting insight into the lives of those aboard the frigate, and his life since.”
Lindsay Roberts
“I was there for the four of them. But by the time we went there, it had become a bit blasé although we were becoming closer and closer. Initially ships were about 150 miles away but in our time my recollections is we were between 50 miles and 20 miles from ground zero. Because as they got more familiar with what they were doing and learnt, the scientists realised but they still wanted the ships closer and closer because we learned later, that they wanted to know what would happen to a ship and its contents when deliberately exposed to a nuclear detonation, and I guess how long it could continue to operate in that nuclear environment.”
Peter Hamilton and Family
“They wanted to find out what happens to sailors on board a ship when an atomic bomb goes off. We were guinea pigs. So what happens is, they die. Some of them died when they were twenty, most of them died when they were fifty, and they are still dying- with all the cancers. I’ve got skin cancer and now I’ve got something in my blood…”
Roy Sefton
“It was just something that we had never seen before and photographs and films and things just don’t do it any justice because even at that distance, it was seen, and felt, and heard.”
Tere Tahi
“…When the bombs exploded, when the mushrooms started to form, it was like the sea was going up towards the mushroom, being sucked up. As far as I was concerned, we could see all the different colours of the mushroom, like all the colours in the rainbow. And for myself, I thought to myself, ‘Heck! 18 years old, and that’s what we’ve, something that we could see.’ I am sure there wouldn’t be too many 18 years olds around that would see something like that. “
Bill and Margaret Bradley
Mururoa
A New Zealand Perspective
1973
Thank you to the individuals who shared their time and stories:
Patrick (Paddy) Long
Patrick (Paddy) Long
Present during French nuclear testing at Mururoa.
Story coming soon…
Atomic bombing of Hiroshima
August 6th, 1945
Thank you to the individuals who shared their time and stories:
Fumiaki Kajiya- Hibakusha
Michimasa Hirata- Hibakusha
Nobuko Sugino- Hibakusha
Nobuo Miyake- Hubakusha
Reiko Yamada- Hibakusha
Takaaki (James) Morikawa- Hibakusha
Michimasa Hirata
Michimasa Hirata was nine-years old at the time of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. He was living 1.3 miles away from the hypocentre, and suffered burns from the bomb’s heat rays. Hirata recalled his experience commenting, “At the moment of the flash my father pushed me into a nearby underground shelter. As soon as I was in the shelter the shock wave hit us. My father was injured by the debris caused by the shock wave.” Since his exposure, Hirata has had a low white blood cell count, and has been susceptible to bacterial infections. In sharing his story, Hirata’s closing remarks were, “I sincerely ask your help to influence and motivate your family, friends, and hopefully your government to abolish all nuclear weapons and save this beautiful planet for our children, grandchildren and further generations.”
Nobuko Sugino
“My name is Nobuko Sugino. I was a year and 6 months old when the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Of course, I do not have the memories around those time. After I grew up, I asked my mother one day. I thought I need to hear from her before she is gone or else, I will know nothing about that day. The story I am going to tell you is what my mother had shared.”
Nobuo Miyake
On August 6, 1945 Miyake was experienced the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. He was a 16 year old, junior college first grader, who was riding a tram 1.8 km from the epicenter. He miraculously received little damage to his body and survived.
Miyake began to talk about the A-bomb experience in Japan from the late 1980s, and has spoken in foreign countries since 1995. In 2012, he participated in the Peace Boat where he presented talkes around the world.
Reiko Yamada
Reiko Yamada was eleven at the time of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. She recalled it being a very hot summer day and commented how the, “airplane body, glittered very beautifully, glittered with silver colour in the sky, a blue sky and all of a sudden, the scenery was turned dark.” Yamada-san’s family all returned safely, despite some injuries, however, she remembers other families were not as lucky. She hopes that all people can understand the indiscriminate nature of these weapons, saying, “we cannot allow even a single bomb to exist on this planet.”
Takaaki (James) Morikawa
Takaaki (James) Morikawa, survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on August 6th, 1945. He was exposed at age six to the Black Rain which contained radioactive materials which fell after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Now in his 80s, he is one of many Hibakusha with cancer.
Hiroshima Clean-up; a New Zealander's Involvement
1945
Thank you to the individuals who shared their time and stories:
Ian Ford on behalf of his father, Victor Leslie George Ford
Ian Ford on behalf of his father (deceased) Victor Leslie George Ford
Ian Ford shared the story of his father alongside images and a memoir. Victor Ford participated in the post-atmic bomb clean-up in Hiroshima.
Atomic bombing of Nagasaki
August 9th, 1945
Thank you to the individuals who shared their time and stories:
Mitsugi Moriguchi- Hibakusha
Tomoko Maekawa- Translator
Mitsugi Moriguchi
Mitsugi Moriguchi was nine years old when the atomic bomb exploded above the city of Nagasaki. He recalled raids leading up to the atomic bombing, and how one bomb was dropped near his house. Moriguchi-san is the second youngest of eight siblings, the three youngest of whom moved to Yamazoto on August 6th with their mother. Following the atomic bombing, his mother returned to Nagasaki to find the rest of her family. Three days later, on the 12th, Moriguchi-san’s mother returned with all his family. On August 20th, they returned to the city at Urakami Station, passing within one kilometre of ground zero. He remembered walking amongst the destruction and seeing bodies of individuals being cremated. After their exposure to radiation several of his family members developed cancers and passed away at young ages, amongst other health related issues. Since 1969 Moriguchi-san has shared his story of the bombing.