Operation Ozone 1954

It is important to recognize that this film of the Operation OZONE Biological Warfare experiments should be watched together with the film Operation CAULDRON 1952, as CAULDRON shows the experimental procedure used in OZONE in greater detail. Operation CAULDRON

Operation OZONE was a series of open air Biological Warfare (BW) experiments, conducted in the Bahamas during 1954, by the UK Microbiological Research Department, Porton Down.

As with the previous Op CAULDRON BW field trials, conducted during 1952 off the coast of the Isle of Lewis, Scotland, the control centre and scientific laboratory were housed on HMS BEN LOMOND.

The field trials target was a converted section of a WW2 Mulberry Harbour pontoon. This pontoon contained the air-sampling gear and captive animals (guinea pigs and mice), which were housed on the deck, awaiting exposure to the Biological Warfare agents.

The trials procedure was almost identical to that used on the earlier Operation CAULDRON field trials, although unlike CAULDRON, Op OZONE did not use monkeys as test subjects.

The Biological Warfare agents tested during Operation OZONE were:

Brucella suis (codename: US)

Francisella tularense (codename: UL)

Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis (codename: NU)

A Biological Warfare simulant was also used as a tracer- Bacillus globigii

The BW agents were disseminated in a number of ways: a B/E1 experimental unit bomb, and E61 R4 bomb, a Large output Collison spray, a HARNESS type spray.

Spraying began on 22 February 1954 and finished on 29 May 1954. Declassified documents reveal that 93 separate Biological Warfare field trials were undertaken during this time.