Antinuclear

Nuclear test veteran from Ipswich among first to receive medal

By Laura Devlin, BBC News, Suffolk, 24 Sept 23

A 92-year-old veteran who watched nuclear weapons being tested in the 1950s has become one of the first to receive a new military medal.

Bob Last, of Ipswich, Suffolk, was a newlywed in his 20s when he was sent to south-west Australia with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.

Their contribution was recognised by the government after a long campaign…………………..

Cover faces with hands

Ms Catlin and her sister Debbie Last said their father, who has dementia, had started to speak about his experiences in the Australian outback in recent years.

“I think they were told not to talk about it; and that generation, if they told not to talk about something, they didn’t,” said Ms Last.

“He said they would see explosions go off, and they would cover their faces with their hands and they could see the bones in their hands.”

Seven atomic bombs were dropped in Maralinga, where Mr Last was based, in October 1957………

‘Nobody knew anything’

For years, veterans and their families have campaigned for recognition, saying the radiation they were exposed to caused ill health and premature deaths, as well as health problems in their families…………………………………………………………………………..

The British Nuclear Test Veterans Association believes more than 22,000 British servicemen participated in the British and US nuclear tests and clean-ups between 1952 and 1965, along with scientists from the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment and civilians.

Ms Last said: “We need to find the medical records of the veterans. It doesn’t stop here.”  https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-suffolk-66906172

September 26, 2023 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Uncategorized