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 . In 1950 , HER was moved to Aldermaston , where White served as the chief chemical engineer and helped create a crucial radioactive liquid treatment plant . The HER project culminated in the successful Operation Hurricane , Britain 's first nuclear test , on 3 October 1952
Operation Hurricane
Operation Hurricane
Percy White (nuclear scientist)