蜜芽传媒

The story of the Welsh scientists, some born in Swansea, others who studied at Swansea University, who worked on developing atomic bombs during and after the war. Told in three parts this short series fulfils the presenter's childhood quest to find out more after her father told her one day that there were "Swansea boys building bombs!鈥� Her father was a Baptist preacher, born in Cockett, Swansea. He had added that some of those scientists were even鈥� sons of men of the cloth鈥�. Herself, a daughter of a 鈥� man of the cloth鈥� set out to find out more. In 2020 Swansea University celebrated 100 years and many essays were written about the University鈥檚 history. Among the essays was one written about the physicists from Swansea University whose path took them to helping build the first atomic bombs, and others who after the war, and after seeing Swansea bombed in the Blitz, continued to build the first British atomic bombs. Discovering a book by Professor John Baylis called 鈥榃ales and the Bomb鈥�, Elin Rhys discovers that her dad had been right about the Swansea Boys.
In the early 40s, physicists from all over the world were beginning to understand the nature of atoms and their smaller particles. Almost simultaneously, the best brains in physics realised that splitting particles generated energy. Enough energy to build the most powerful bombs on earth. The Film Oppenheimer arrived on our screens 鈥� the story of the man who brought together the geniuses in the field, enticed them to Los Alamos in the US to work on the Manhattan Project. Yet the film failed to mention the Welsh connection 鈥� not even the factory in Clydach, the only place in the world that could supply Oppenheimer with the mesh he needed to capture the all-important Uranium Isotope.
This three-part series tells the untold story of Swansea men, either natural Jacks or students at Swansea University, who were researching how to make bombs both during and after the war. In fact, Aldermaston, where research was taking place to build the British atomic bomb after the war, had so many Swansea men that they could field a full cricket team of genuine Glamorganshire men!
After the war, some 29 men from Swansea went on to build bigger, more powerful bombs than those dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. But the Swansea men who built bombs were a fascinating group. Engineers, physicists, chemists - believing that they were in fact building a deterrent, that would never be used.
The second programme takes us to Clydach鈥檚 Mond Nickel factory which supplied Los Alamos with the mesh they needed to separate the Uranium isotope from the Uranium ore. We discover the story of Swansea born physicist Joan Curran, who after devising the Windows, or chaff system, to help the Air Force, went on to contribute to the Manhattan project. We find out what happened after the bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and how many Swansea scientists went on to take part in building the British Atomic Bombs.
To name just a couple 鈥� Sir Ieuan Maddocks, a miner鈥檚 son from Gorseinon, considered to have made an 鈥榦utstanding contribution鈥� to the bomb programme. His part in the testing of the British atomic bomb off the coast of Australia got him the nickname 鈥� The Count of Monte Bello. DT Lewis, also the son of a miner from Brynmawr doing his PhD in Swansea.
Currently nuclear bombs are a deterrent and work continues in defence engineering and technology at the atomic weapons establishment in Aldermaston. We have a rare chance to visit the exterior of the site with a Swansea University scientist who has worked there for 57 years.