Python (codename): Difference between revisions

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Revision as of 00:31, 11 February 2021

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Sites for dispersing government were selected in 1966 based on their existing accommodation, independence from the national power and water grids, [[nuclear fallout]] protection and distance from likely targets. The chosen sites were [[RNAS Culdrose (HMS Seahawk)|RNAS Culdrose]] in [[Cornwall]], [[HMS Osprey, Portland|HMS ''Osprey'']] in [[Dorset]], [[Taymouth Castle]] (then the [[Civil Defence Corps]] Training School) in [[Scotland]] and either the helicopter support ship [[RFA Engadine (K08)|RFA ''Engadine'']] or royal yacht [[HMY Britannia|HMY ''Britannia'']] which would embark a PYTHON group at [[Loch Torridon]] or [[Oban]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/15053819.The_top_secret_story_of_just_how_important_Portland_could_have_been_in_the_Cold_War/|title=If nuclear war had broken out between Russia and the west, HMS Osprey on Portland would have been a remote hideaway for the government|publisher=Dorset Echo|date=28 January 2017}}</ref> [[Tonfanau#PYTHON site|Tonfanau Army Camp]] was temporarily designated as the PYTHON ___location for [[Wales]] with a view to moving the site to the Old College at [[Aberystwyth University]] (which housed the University's Department of Physics) as soon as possible.<ref name="herald"/> Each dispersed PYTHON group would be supported by dispersed sections of the United Kingdom Supply Agency and the National Air Transport Agency.

In addition, in 1964 the [[Secretary of State for Scotland]] ordered three ships - [[MV Hebrides (19641963)|MV ''Hebrides'']], [[MV Clansman (1964)|MV ''Clansman'']] and [[MV Hebridean Princess|RMS ''Columba'']] - which were chartered to [[David MacBrayne Ltd]] as car ferries but could be converted to floating nuclear bunkers in a very short time. They had heavy steel doors to seal the car deck, air tight external windows and doors, decontamination rooms with showers and external sprinklers to wash away fallout. One or more of these ships would have accompanied RFA ''Engadine'' or HMY ''Britannia'' from Oban or [[Mallaig]].<ref name="herald"/>

The Corsham bunker, given the new codename TURNSTILE from 1963 and CHANTICLEER from 1970, would play an important part in the lead up to war but ceased to have a CGWHQ role other than as a possible aggregation point for PYTHON groups some time after an attack.<ref name="Hennessy"/>