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Forgotten victims of Britain’s nuclear tests on Christmas Island

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/industry/defence/10611985/Forgotten-victims-of-Britains-nuclear-tests-on-Christmas-Island.html

No compensation for British servicemen exposed to nuclear explosions around Australia and the Pacific in the 1950s and ’60s

When the bomb went off, Private John Hall had been given no protective clothing. Instead, he and his fellow RAF servicemen had been ordered to turn away from the mushroom cloud and put their hands in front of their faces.

He later said that as he did so, his hands “lit up like an X-ray”, and he saw his bones outlined through the flesh.

The year was 1958, and the Cold War was at its height. Mr Hall, a 19-year-old RAF groundcrewsman, was stationed on Christmas Island, off the north-eastern coast of Australia, to assist with British nuclear tests. His job was to decontaminate the bombers after they flew through the mushroom clouds to collect samples for analysis.

Between 1952 and 1962, Britain and the United States caused more than 40 nuclear explosions in the atmosphere around Australia and in the Pacific. Around 21,000 British servicemen were exposed to these explosions, many of whom were dressed in no more than khaki desert fatigues. Approximately 3,000 are thought to be alive today.

Mr Hall’s part was small, but he knew that it was vital work. If open warfare with the USSR was to be avoided, it was imperative that Britain should develop a nuclear deterrent.

But as he helped to end the Cold War in the dust and blistering heat, Mr Hall had no idea that he and many of his fellow servicemen would later suffer ill health and premature death. His own would come at the age of 53, after a long struggle against hairy cell leukaemia, a rare form of cancer that affects just 200 people per year in Britain.

More on link …

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/industry/defence/10611985/Forgotten-victims-of-Britains-nuclear-tests-on-Christmas-Island.html

February 3, 2014 - Posted by | Uncategorized

2 Comments »

  2. Hi, Is Oscar Rabin (148 Marham) or Bill Bailey (207 Marham) still around? I know that both were on Christmas Island and were worried about the long term effects. Regards Ian.

    Ian Champma's avatar Comment by Ian Champma | June 5, 2019 | Reply


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