October 3, 1952. Montebello Islands. Australian coast. It was the date, the place and the country that went down in history. The first British nuclear bomb was successfully tested in the so-called Operation Hurricane. Launched by the ship HMS Plym, the device exploded in the high seas, reaching a depth of six meters and a diameter of 300 meters.
The United Kingdom became the third nuclear power in the world, at a time of the Cold War, in which a rush towards weapons was strategic to intimidate the Soviet Union. It was the first of 45 tests that were conducted up to 1966.
Over 14 years, thousands of people took part in these trials across the Pacific Ocean: military, civilians, scientists and workers, not only from the UK but also from Commonwealth countries. The British government indicates that there are around 22,000. 70 years after the first test, they will receive, starting next year, the nuclear test medal.
The announcement was made by the country’s prime minister at a memorial ceremony at the National Memorial Arboretum, a grove in central England created to honor war veterans. It was there that Rishi Sunak said he was “very pleased to announce that his majesty the king has decided to recognize” the service rendered in the nuclear tests.
In this act, before war veterans, former relatives and leaders of the Armed Forces, the head of the English Government announced the creation of a fund to “remember and support the veterans who participated in the tests”.
Many of the medals will be awarded posthumously and may be the beginning of a recognition that survivors’ associations have long demanded. They allege that civilians and military personnel were deliberately exposed to radiation to see how their bodies would react. The result: serious health problems, such as cancer, and even degenerative diseases for children. There were several studies that investigated these cases, but without concrete conclusions. The British government never recognized them, until this Monday.
Therefore, it was with optimism that the founder of Labrats International Charity, one of the survivors’ associations, listened to Rishi Sunak’s words. Speaking to the BBC, Alan Owen spoke of an “exciting day”. His father, James, participated in the nuclear test on Christmas Island in 1962, when he was 21 years old. He died of heart problems at the age of 52 in 1994. Since then, Alan has campaigned for veterans to be honored for his services.
The British Royal Legion, an organization that supports veterans, welcomed the creation of this medal and the recognition of those who participated, but urged the Executive to “do more” and facilitate access to compensation.
“Many of those who served during this program are still living today with health consequences and more must be done to support them and their families,” the organization said in a statement.
Source: TSF
