In 1952 , McNicoll was appointed chairman of the planning committee for the British nuclear tests on the Montebello Islands , off the coast of Western Australia . Later that year , he was made commanding officer of the heavy cruiser , a post he held for the next two years . As commander of '' Australia '' , McNicoll also served as Chief Staff Officer to the Flag Officer Commanding HM Australian Fleet . HMAS '' Australia '' was near the end of its naval service and had been relegated to training duties from 1950 . As such , the cruiser was primarily consigned to Australian waters , though a brief trip to New Zealand did occur in October 1953 . McNicoll was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1954 New Year Honours List for his involvement in the British atomic program ; he was presented with the decoration three months later by Queen Elizabeth II in a ceremony at Government House , Melbourne
British nuclear tests
Operation Hurricane
Alan McNicoll