"X" BASE GRUINARD ISLAND TRIALS 1942-43 [Main Title]

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  • Title: "X" BASE GRUINARD ISLAND TRIALS 1942-43 [Main Title]
  • Film Number: DED 252
  • Other titles: PORTON DOWN TRIALS NON-NITRATE COLLECTION [Allocated Series Title]
  • Summary: Summary of anthrax (bacillus anthracis) trials carried out by Biological Department, Porton, assisted by staff of the Chemical Defence Experimental Station (CDES), Porton, on Gruinard Island (codenamed "X Base"). The film records the complete sequence of events from tethering of sheep through to their death from inhaling spores, and comments retrospectively (from 1956 perspective) on protective measures taken by scientists and their servicemen assistants in 1942-1943.
  • Description: Gruinard Island lies in Gruinard Bay on the north-west coast of Scotland. It was here in 1942 that the first scientifically-controlled biological warfare field trials were carried out. A team had been set up at Porton in 1940, to assess how serious the threat of biological warfare (BW) was. Part of their work was the development of practical weapons, which finally had to be tested with infectious agents. The island was picked especially for its isolation, as the trials were more hazardous than those involving chemical weapons. The rugged mountains of the island did not help in getting steady off-shore winds necessary for the trial. Two exploratory trials were done in July 1942 with bombs being fired. In September a further trial was done with a bomb dropping from an aircraft. Four further trials were done the following summer and this film was taken during one of those. Sheep were used for the trial because they are particularly sensitive to inhaled anthrax. They were kept on a mainland camp, and only transferred to the island when needed for the trials. The film was shot at silent film speed, so everyone seems to be moving quite fast. The Royal Navy helped, and the sheep were towed across in a dinghy or on an LCT (tank landing craft). On the island, the sheep are herded by a shepherd and his dog. They were taken into an uninfected "clean" area and driven into a corral until needed. This shows that it would be easier to use small animals, although this was not possible in these trials. The sheep were marked before being put in the exposure crate. The "dirty" area was clearly marked, and separated off from the clean side. The sheep are put into the exposure crates. These ensure the sheep are kept still and are also pointing in the right direction, facing into the exposure cloud. It also helps in handling the sheep, which are heavy and agile. It was important to establish beyond doubt that the animals contracting the disease did so by direct inhalation from the bomb. The sheep were covered in fabric to keep spores off the fleece. Later they are hooded to stop transfer of spores, and they are tethered out of reach of each other. The sampling cylinder involves a butane gas cylinder modified as a vacuum. (Long sequence with sound missing, and possibly jumbled pictures of cylinder with landscape.) Sheep and bottles of (presumably) anthrax loaded onto trucks. Equipment set up. (Sound returns.) Dropping trials from aircraft were attempted, but only one was actually carried out. It was more convenient to use a mortar fired along the ground. Electrical cables are connected to the bombs and mortars so that the discharge can be controlled. The operators wore cloth overalls, rubber gloves and boots, a respirator with particulate filter, and a cloth hood. The bomb is fired, and the cloud travels on the wind towards the line of animals and the impingers. One trial only a day is carried out. When the cloud has passed, the impingers are washed out, and the contents collected up and taken back to the lab. The rest of the gear stays in the "dirty" area ready for the next trial. The sheep are hooded to reduce the risk of cross infection. Other precautions ensure infection is only from inhalation of the primary aerosol of the bomb. At the holding area, the sheep are taken out of their crates and tethered to lines. The first two trials showed clearly that bacteria could be put up using a simple weapon with an effect much more striking than that of a chemical weapon. Later trials tried to put the information on a quantitative basis. Tests with harmless simulants had been done at Porton, so it was necessary to prove that the anthrax behaved like the simulant. Research also showed the dosage of anthrax infectious to sheep, and this was to be correlated with field-test results. A bomb dropped from the air failed to infect any sheep, but this was shown to be down to the boggy peat of Gruinard Island. The sheep are all attached to a line which is to remain for a seven-day holding period. Not all the sheep are docile and cooperative. On the third day after exposure, the casualties begin. Dead sheep appear and it is necessary to prove they died of anthrax. A blood smear is all that is necessary to do this, but more detailed post mortems are also carried out. Results confirmed laboratory figures. On a typical graph of dosages, all the sheep in the cloud died, except those at the extreme fringes. One symptom is a bloody exudate, but post mortems were carried out anyway. The autopsies are carried out on the rocks, demonstrating that elaborate equipment and facilities are not needed. "Dr Paul Fildes, individualistically not wearing a hood, and Reggie Bamford wielding the knife and taller figures of David Henderson and Donald Woods". A stream usefully supplies running water. Blood smears are taken from all animals, and the bodies are taken away for destruction. The slides are boxed and taken to the mainland laboratory for examination. Sheep which did not die within the week were destroyed humanely after the time period was up. All sheep carcasses were incinerated, as burial attempts were not successful. (It is noted that small animals are also easier to dispose of!) Soil samples from the exposed area show considerable contamination which, though much diminished, could still be traced thirteen years later. The undressing procedure was similar to that used in gas trials. Initial spraying with water reduces the risk of spore inhalation to everyone. The undresser wears full regs [regulation uniform], but no mask, and people wear personal clothes under their regs, which is unusual. After regs and boots have been removed, the person can swing over to the clean area. The clothes are put in a disinfector and steamed for one hour, and the action is enhanced by the addition of formaldehyde which removes spores. The clothing is packaged in neat bundles to ensure even and thorough penetration of the steam. After an hour, the clothing is unpacked and aired. The sheep crates were decontaminated with a slurry of bleach in sea-water, acidified with hydrochloric acid. The acid is an effective disinfectant but rather messy, and very corrosive, so care is taken. The acid was diluted, and the mixture not added until needed. The acid bleach was used on other equipment which would stand its action. Chlorine can be seen in the foam! The crates were dipped and allowed to dry - this proved effective. The island was not used again after 1943, the safe-wind was not effective, and attention was turned to trials at sea. Yearly examinations still show virulent anthrax on the island, but in 1956, the risk to man and animals is probably negligible. Title: "THE END. A REMINDER - THIS FILM IS SECRET."
  • Alternative Title: PORTON DOWN TRIALS NON-NITRATE COLLECTION [Allocated Series Title]
  • Colour: Colour
  • Digitised: Yes
  • Object_Number: DED 252
  • Sound: Sound
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM (DED 252)
  • Featured Period: 1939-1945
  • Production Date: 1942 1943 1956
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Biological Department, Porton (Production company) Howe, Calderon (Lieutenant, MC, USNR) (Production individual) Morton, John (Production individual) Morton, John (Production individual) Microbiological Research Department, Porton (Production individual)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations:
  • Keywords: Porton Down, Wiltshire, England, UK (geography)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: Colour Sound format: Sound Soundtrack language: English Title language: English Subtitle language: None
  • Technical Details: Format: Beta-SP Running time: 18 mins
  • HD Media:
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    DED 252

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