Original Item: Only One Available. They say that war is horrific, and one cannot truly grasp the horrors until they have experienced it firsthand, WWII was not like any other war up to that date. It was fought with the literal tooth and nail, ultimately ending the fighting with the Japanese Empire after the Atomic Bombings of both Hiroshima and Nagasaki. During the rebuild phase of the occupation, many allied forces as well as ex axis forces teamed up to assist and rebuild the cities which were essentially vaporized from the bombings. The damage to the tile was caused by the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima in August 1945 by the United States Forces. 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 demilitarization and democratization of Japan. Australian forces worked within the Hiroshima prefecture and thus day trips to the site were a common occurrence. With no knowledge of the dangers of radiation, Australians would often collect or purchase souvenirs from the site to take home, this tile being one of those items.

On August 6, 1945 a modified United States B-29 bomber flew over the city of Hiroshima, Japan. It flew with a small crew of men and a weapon known as ‘Little Boy’.

‘Little Boy’ was one of two bombs created as a result of the Manhattan Project, a United States run program to build an atomic weapon. This project began after Albert Einstein warned the American government that NSDAP Germany was already working to develop nuclear weapons. The United States’ weapons were intended to be used against Germany, however by the time they tested the first atomic bomb in July 1945, NSDAP Germany had already been defeated. They then turned their gaze to the East where war with the Japanese continued to rage on. The Manhattan project developed two atomic weapons: ‘Little Boy’ and ‘Fat Man’, both of which would be used on Japan, summer 1945. Hiroshima would be hit on August 6th, and Nagasaki 3 days later on August 9th.

Little Boy’ was dropped at 8:15 am on Monday, August 6th, 1945. It was dropped from 31,000 feet and exploded only 800 feet from its intended location. The explosion was marked by a bright flash of light and a booming sound and killed 30% of the population. At the time, this was 70,000 – 80,000, people. Within a year’s time, another 60,000 would die from the effects of fallout.

This ruin from the Sairenji Temple in Hiroshima represents the devastation that befell the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. Hiroshima demonstrated the nuclear abilities of the then modern world and reflected what was possible.

This tile is one of many that were awarded to those who aided in the rebuilding of the Sairenji Temple. This piece in particular was presented to Lieutenant Colonel Don Cameron, who we believe to have been an Australian soldier. The tile was presented in a lovely box by Reverend Katsuki, the Chief Priest of Sairenji Temple in Hiroshima on September 2, 1951.

The “atom struck” roof tile is from the temple itself and was exposed to heat in excess of 6,000 degrees Celsius for only one tenth of a second during the atomic bomb’s explosion. If you look closely enough, you can see the texture of the tile has been altered due to the extreme amount of heat, one half being smooth and the other half bubbled from the heat. The box measures approximately 4 ⅛” x 5” x 1” and is offered in wonderful condition.

This is a brutal, yet lovely reminder and memento of the War in the Pacific and the destruction that hit Japanese soil. Comes more than ready for further research and display.