| Place | Asia: Japan, Hiroshima |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | REL24123.002 |
| Collection type | Heraldry |
| Object type | Heraldry |
| Physical description | Glass |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Date made | Unknown |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 British Commonwealth Occupation Force, 1946-1952 (Japan) |
| Source credit to | This item has been digitised with funding provided by Commonwealth Government. |
Glass bottle, atomic blast Hiroshima: William Patrick O'Keefe, Merchant Navy, HMAS Duntroon
Description
A small green glass bottle fused at the neck end and still retaining its cap. Bottle has the name "WILKINSON" and company logo around the base in raised letters.
History / Summary
This damaged bottle was collected in Hiroshima by William Patrick O’Keefe while serving in the Merchant Navy aboard MV Duntroon (HMAS Duntroon), a ship charted by the Royal Australian Navy from 1946 to 1949 for transport duties. O’Keefe had served in the Merchant Navy in the Second World War as a cook’s attendant.
The bottle has the name "WILKINSON" and company logo around the base in raised letters and was likely made in the United Kigndom and may have been imported to Japan before the Second World War. The damage to this item was caused by the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima in August 1945.
In the Allied occupation which followed the Second World War, Australians served as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) from February 1946 until the treaty in 1951 to assist with the demilitarisation and democratisation of Japan. Australian forces worked within the Hiroshima prefecture and day trips to the site were a common occurrence. With no understanding of the dangers of radiation in the area, Australians collected or purchased damaged items from the site as souvenirs to take home.