Percy White (nuclear scientist)

Percival Albert Frederick White OBE (16 July 1916 – 8 January 2013)[1] was a British chemist, metallurgist and nuclear scientist who was involved in the creation and testing of Britain's first nuclear weapon during Operation Hurricane in 1952. He also made significant contributions to the advancement of explosives manufacturing, chemical engineering and civilian nuclear technology, and authored numerous books on engineering.

This article is about the British nuclear scientist. For the Australian rugby player, see Percy White.

Percival A.F. White

OBE
Born
Percival Albert Frederick White

(1916-07-16)16 July 1916
London, England[1]
Died8 January 2013(2013-01-08) (aged 96)
NationalityBritish
Alma mater
Occupation
Known forNuclear weapons development and advocacy of civilian nuclear technology

Early life and education

White was born in London in 1916 and moved to southern Wales at an early age. He studied chemistry at University College, Swansea, graduating at the age of 19 with first-class honours. He went on to study chemical engineering at University College London, and then began a career in industrial metallurgy.[1]

Second World War

During the Second World War, White worked for the British government as a specialist in ammunition and chemical warfare. While working for the Royal Ordnance Factories, he patented a method of efficiently manufacturing high explosive shells.[1] After the war, White worked in military research at the Defence Research Establishments at Waltham Abbey and Porton Down, before moving to the Woolwich Arsenal.[1]

Nuclear weapons research and later career
The mushroom cloud produced by the Operation Hurricane nuclear test on 3 October 1952.

In 1949, White joined the secret High Explosives Research (HER) project, which was tasked by Lord William Penney with producing Britain's first nuclear bomb.[2] In 1950, HER was moved to Aldermaston, where White served as the chief chemical engineer and helped create a crucial radioactive liquid treatment plant.[1] The HER project culminated in the successful Operation Hurricane, Britain's first nuclear test, on 3 October 1952.[3]

Thereafter, White continued to work in nuclear science, collaborating with American researchers and contributing to the development of the Dounreay civilian nuclear reactor. He was appointed OBE in 1966, and retired in 1972, though he continued to advise the British government and private companies on the use of chemical engineering and nuclear technology.[1] He also authored a number of books on chemical engineering and air filtration.[4]

Personal life

White married Jean Bracey in 1940; they had two children, and remained married until her death in 2007. At the time of White's death in 2013, he had two children, four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.[1] White was a keen amateur artist, training as an enameller at Southampton College of Art in his retirement, and exhibiting his artworks in London and Winchester.[1]

See also

References
  1. "Percy White obituary". The Guardian. 16 January 2013. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
  2. "Our History". AWE.co.uk. Archived from the original on 22 January 2013. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
  3. "3 October 1952 – First British Nuclear Test". CTBTO.org. Archived from the original on 9 January 2013. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
  4. "White, P. A. F. (Percival Albert Frederick)". WorldCat. 2010. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
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