In September of 1942, Colonel Kenneth Nichols, 2nd in command of The Manhattan Project, was tasked by General Groves to find a source of uranium for The Manhattan Project. Nichols, based on scientific reports, headed to New York to meet with Edgar Sengier.
Sengier, a Belgian geologist, owned a uranium mine in Shinkolobwe, Congo. When they met, Nichols asked if the Congo mine could supply uranium ore for the project’s use.
His response might be the most stunning answer of World War II.
“You can have the ore now. It is in New York, a thousand tons of it. I was waiting for your visit.”
The back story. The Shinkolobwe mine is a geological freak of nature. Much of the ore in the world has 1.5% uranium in it. Experts claim that fraction of ore is a solid number for enrichment. The Congo mine’s ore was 65% uranium. An astonishing number.
Beginning in 1940, Sengier began receiving letters, phone calls and personal visits from physicists. He was told his ore could be used for the most destructive weapon the world had ever seen. Hitler must never get the Congo ore. So, Sengier, without help and without compensation, shipped 1,200 tons of uranium ore to New York City, to keep it out of German hands. He shipped the ore in November of 1940. Colonel Nichols walked into his office in September of 1942.
It was an amazing act of foresight and courage. He is perhaps, the most unknown, most ignored hero of World War II.
Edgar Sengier is on the left.