A VALIANT piloted. by a former Norwich man has dropped Britain's first hydrogen bomb, it was disclosed last night.

The official announcement merely stated that a "nuclear device" was exploded "at a high altitude" in the Central Pacific.

The pilot of the Valiant four-jet bomber which dropped the bomb was W /Cmdr. Kenneth Gilbert Hubbard, who is in command of the.
four Valiants based on Christmas Island for the tests 

When the present series of tests were announced by Sir Anthony Eden nearly a year ago. it was stated that the tests would be of .. nuclear explosions in the megaton (one million tons of  T.N.T.)  range" and that they would be high air bursts which would not involve heavy fall-out.

Last night's announcement said:

"The Minister of Supply, Mr. Aubrey Jones, has received a report from Air Vice-Marshal W. E. Oulton. commander of the task force. and Mr. W. R. J Cook, scientific director of the trials. that the first explosion of a nuclear device in the present series took place today at a high altitude in the central Pacific, 

"Scientific records are being collected for accurate evaluation, A further statement will be made in due course,"