Club Meeting 13th April 2026">Club Meeting 13th April 2026

Welcome: President Graham welcomed members, today’s speaker Prof. Gareth Williams and Bob Atack guest of Ian Whittle.

Members stood in silence in memory of Club member Don Bull.

Brian Lamerton introduced regular speaker Prof. Gareth Williams to tell us about “The Impossible Bomb”. Gareth having asked the audience who had seen the film “Oppenheimer” said he was now going to put the record straight about how the USA denied the British and German critical involvement in the development of the atom bomb in World War 11.

Gareth explained how the bomb has always been thought of as almost an entirely American scientific achievement, but the truth is that scientists working in Britain played a vital role in its development. These scientists, particularly Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany, Otto Robert Frisch and Rudolf Peierles, together with British Nobel Prize winners have been written out of the history of “ Tube Alloys” the codename of the Manhattan Project. In addition to the scientists input the inclusion of a Sintered Nickel Membrane produced in Clydach near Swansea was a British invention the Americans could not do without. Mond in Clydach was the only company in the world capable of manufacturing the mesh in the required volume.

Gareth continued by introducing other key British players in the programme such as James Chadwick who was seen as the mastermind behind the massive organisation, Wallace Akers and Michael Perrin both seconded from ICI. Where these men identified gaps in expertise they were filled by British scientists.

This fine talk was concluded with Gareth describing how virtually the whole British critical involvement was written out of the official history of The Manhattan Project by the Smyth Report after the end of WW2.

After many questions from the floor John Moore gave the vote of thanks, congratulating Gareth on such a well researched and delivered talk to the great enjoyment of the audience. Members responded with a hearty round of applause.