FissionLine 71

4-7: Cloud flyer's blood cancer death terrified the MoD

8: Death on Christmas Island

9: Words that haunt me, by John Simes

10-11: Did US racism turn Fuchs into a 'Superspy '

13: Nuclear bomb blessings to end.

14: Stalin's psychopathic A-bomb maker

15: Oppy the Hippy!

16: Day I met a legend, by Dr Chris Hill

18,19: Different views, Historic statements from two political giants FissionLine is an independent newspaper without any political ties or affiliations Editor: Alan Rimmer

occupation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. While radiation indisputably has serious adverse health effects at high dose levels, there is scientific uncertainty about its adverse health effects at the very low levels underlying these claims. Even though the available evidence does not suggest the existence of adverse long-term health effects from low-level ionizing radiation exposure, because there is some uncertainty on this point, the Bill reaffirms the administration's strong commitment to the well-being of the men and women who have served this nation with honour and distinction. By giving the Veterans Administration the opportunity to conduct a careful, systematic review of the evidence underlying these claims, the bill accomplishes two important purposes:

When veterans suffer from illnesses due to their exposure to low-level radiation, it lays the groundwork for awarding the compensation to which they are rightfully entitled.

But, as importantly, it will have the Veterans Administration provide assurance to those concerned about their health and the health of their children where past ex

V of their exposure to lo ear is unjustified. This bi e pleased to sign it.

STATEMENT FROM PRIME MINISTER TONY BLAIR WHO PROMISED TO COMPENSATE BRITAIN'S NUCLEAR VETERANS ONCE THE LABOUR PARTY WERE IN POWER

"Some ex-servicemen who were present at the atmospheric nuclear tests are ill….however I am bound to repeat that there is no evidence of excessive illness or mortality amongst all of the veterans as a group that could be linked to exposure to radiation as a result of the tests….On the basis of full access to all relevant documentation…It is clear that very few of those present at the tests would have received a measurable radiation dose. As you are aware, the study into the health of the test veterans carried out by the NRPB and the Imperial Cancer Research Fund showed that the veterans as a group their participation in the nuclear weapons programme has not had a detectable effect on their expectations of life, or their risk of developing cancer or other fatal diseases. This study was carried out independently of the Ministry of Defence in response to the veterans’ concerns and published in the British Medical Journal….the 1988 and 1993 NRPB reports addressed the most significant period of risk for the illness of most concern leukaemia. The MoD cannot readily justify spending further substantial sums of public money on further studies, in the absence of any substantial

y

g

the USA was the only power to have the atomic bomb but everyone knew it was only a matter of time before the rest of the world caught up. Today nine countries possess nuclear weapons and in total, the global nuclear stockpile is close to 13,000 weapons. Just one of those weapons exploded in anger could be enough to spark armageddon.

Despite this, the world seems strangely indifferent, as though people don't really believe it could happen, putting their faith in the hope that even tyrants like Putin are not mad enough to bring destruction down on their own heads.

We can only hope they are right! But perhaps the real threat is one long feared by most of the world's intelligence agancies: that of a terrorist organisation getting its hands on a dirty bomb --- a conventional explosive

device wrapped in a fissile material like uranium. Fallout from such a device exploded in a crowded city would be enough to cause widespread panic over a huge area with people stampeding to flee the deadly contamination and very likely cause as much civil confusion and mayhem as an attack from a proper nuclear bomb.

The estimable Mr Bates

Exciteable nuke vet campaigners are hoping for a "Mr Bates" moment of public fury and outcry when a planned TV programme about Britain's nuclear veterans is aired later this year. We sincerely wish them well in their endeavours. Mr Alan Bates, who led the successful postmasters campaign, deserves all the plaudits that have come his way. He showed remarkable fortitude to resist the pressure from the Post Office and a deft touch in turning down the various gongs and medals offered to him. He knows better than anyone that refusal of honours sends a powerful message to the government that the postmasters have no intention of being bought off or subsumed into the Establishment where they can more easily be controlled into acceptance of a shoddy deal cobbled together by the Government and the Post Office.

W

UK Gov was 'scared stiff' of nuclear cloud flyer who died of blood cancer

Leader Tony Davis died of leukaemia after taking part in H-Bomb tests his last wish was for relief from death taxes so his sister could carry on living in the flat they shared.

But he was turned down because the MoD were "scared stiff" of opening the floodgates to claims for compensation, according to his lawyer.

And the MoD refused to budge even after Davis's doctor, a world-famous blood specialist, stated he was almost certain the disease was caused by

By Alan Rimmer

the bomb tests after examining Davis’s flying log which showed that in 1957-58 he had taken a very active role in six UK nuclear bomb tests on Christmas Island in the Pacific.

Davis, a former Spitfire ace who fought in the Battle of Britain, spent more than a year on the island photographing the deadly mushroom clouds from the cockpit of a Canberra aircraft. Later he flew highly radioactive materials from the clouds back to Britain. Davis was of course well aware of the danger to his

Sellafield under fire

health. And when his illness was diagnosed he was acutely aware that he could become a potential political hot potato.

But he had no intention of being used, as a “hideous political pawn” by the burgeoning antinuclear movement of the day,

He instructed his solicitor, a former RAF officer with high-powered connections, not to make his illness public

All he asked for was relief from death duties for his sister Susan, his only surviving relative, so she could go on living in their shared London flat.

The solicitor, Mr J Elverston-Trickett, believed it was an open and shut case for compensation, but was shocked to receive a terse rebuff from the then Permanent UnderSecretary of State (Air) Mr B.E. Robson .

BBC later that month, Sellafield's boss, Euan Hutton, insisted there had been no attacks on the site.

achievements and progress on LGBTQ+ equality. A spokesperson said: "We're over the moon."

The company which runs the Sellafield nuclear site is being prosec alleged inform technology sec offences

The Office for Regulation (O Sellafield Ltd have committe offences betwe and early 2023

The facility, o Cumbrian coa regarded as W Europe's most nuclear site. The ONR says safety was not

The regulator y decision to prosecute Sellafield follows an investigation it carried out. It says no further details can be given because legal proceedings are now under way

The Guardian last year reported that Sellafield had been hacked by cyber groups "closely linked to Russia and China".

In an interview with the

Nuclear Matters

Icon Ken leg

Bombmakers win woke prize

In response to ONR's announcement, Sellafield has issued a statement Britain's nuclear bombmakers, the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) has achieved a prestigious silver award and been ranked within the top 200 companies for the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index (WEI) 2022.

The Stonewall WEI is a benchmarking tool that assesses a company’s

s are with nley, the ather of the mmunity. attling stage r he took a the stairs at ne home his leg. hospital for o weeks octors decide whether to operate. His daughter Louise is at his bedside and will update us on his condition.

Get well soon, Ken. We need you!

Cloud Flyer Tony Davis

When I met a legend, by Dr Chris Hill

All of the researchers on the project knew that no oral history collection on the subject of nuclear test veterans would be complete without an interview with Ken McGinley, the founding father of the nuclear test veteran community.

When we heard that Ken was ill, we made it a priority to get ourselves up the M6 and interview him as a matter of urgency. Meeting Ken was an absolute pleasure.

I was immediately struck by both his charm and integrity. From his childhood through to his decades of campaigning after the nuclear tests, Ken’s whole life seemed to have been shaped by his keen sense of justice. His willingness to stand up for what is right has had a positive impact on so many lives, and not only in the test veteran community. He was influential in overturning Section 10 of the Crown Proceedings Act, which had prevented veterans from applying for

compensation for injuries and illnesses sustained in the course of service. He paved the way for the USA’s Radiation Exposure Compensation Act. He was successful in pushing the UK government into conducting an environmental clean-up of Christmas Island in the

2000s. At the end of my visit, Ken and I indulged in a thought-experiment about how many millions he’d cost the UK government in righting the wrongs of the Cold War era. The wry smile on his face suggested he was very happy with his life’s work, as he should be!

Dr Chris Hill, Head of the Government funded Oral History programme, with Ken McGinley

Robson replied: “Our records show that only one category of air crew (the sampling squadron) received doses of radiation consequent upon detonation of the nuclear devices off Christmas Island. Squadron Leader Davis was not a member of this squadron ” And Robson added: “There are no other records of RAF personnel having suffered ill-effects from radiation durin their service on Christmas Island.”

This was lie Just weeks late a Defence Minister told Parliament that at least three servicemen had contracted leuk returning from Christmas Island.

powerful statement from Davis’s consultant, Prof Frank G. Hayhoe, a distinguished haematologist, who wrote:“It is incontrovertibly established that exposure to ionising radiations such

denied that this exposure whatever the dose and type, may have caused his leukaemia.”

Consultant's powerful evidence

Elverston-Trickett was quick to point this out to the MoD, and he had more evidence to support Davis’s claim in a

as may result from an atomic explosion can induce the development of leukaemia after a latent period of several years…it could not reasonably be

This was damning evidence from a worldrenowned expert and it clearly rattled the MoD mandarins. It was nearly o months fore the nistry plied, and en they did was to cloud issue. a letter dated th February, 65, Jobson ote that der Section 1952 of the nance Act to alify for emption from ath duties, vicemen had have been led in a war ne , adding:n these nces we cluded reluctantly, and in consultation with the Treasury, that Squadron Leader Davis’s estate does not qualify for exemption under Section 71.”

In further exchanges, the MoD hardened its position by claiming that its own doctors took issue with Dr Hayhoe’s contention that leukaemia was “usually attributable” to ionising radiation.

The officia “Only som cent of the victims su contracted This was y blatant fal some resea claiming t of leukaem those livin the detona increased devastatin about 12 to after the b is when ra peaked.)

Subsequen various org h ri su a

in those exposed to less than 50 rads, a comparatively low dose Further increasingly testy exchanges between the solicitor and the MoD continued for nearly two of dge. ett

decided that the only option was to go public. He wrote to Sue Davis, Davis’s sister, suggesting they contact a “friendly MP to raise the matter in Parliament.”

But by this time Sue Davis had had enough. She insisted on adhering to her brother’s last wishes (not to be used as a 'hideous political pawn’) and refused publicity. So like so many similar cases, the tragic story of Tony Davis slipped into history, his suffering and untimely death forgotten.

Until, that is, his death certificate was unearthed by researchers for the BBC in 1983. A team of journalists contacted Sue Davis, but she still refused to cooperate fully in a groundbreaking Nationwide documentary which first exposed the ‘Truth of Christmas Island.’

Oppy the Hippy: Just like Dylan!

Frank gives a colourful account of life in the wilderness:-

“When we first went there we slept on the floor, a board floor. But that didn’t bother Robert much. He was a very hardy fellow although he didn’t look that way, he looked terribly frail.

"But he was pretty tough. He eventually explored large parts of those mountains; Oppie knew more about them than almost anybody else. He would just get on his horse and put a chocolate bar in his pocket and would be gone for a day or two at least

"Sleeping out he would see nobody else in the whole trip Everything my brother did was going to be special. If he went

The same hair, the same laconic eyes and intense expression --- fans of Oppenheimer the blockbuster Hollywood movie about the Manhattan Project have commented on the uncanny resemblance between the scientist as a young man and the folk legend Bob Dylan. But for most people that's where the similarity ends, for surely the scientific genius who made the atomic bomb couldn't possibly be compared with the poetic Dylan who made his name singing protest songs about the evils of The Bomb? But you'd be wrong: Oppenheimer as a young man was one of the first hippies, according to his younger brother Frank. In a rare interview he describes how throughout the 1930s they spent their summers with friends at a small ranch leased by the Oppenheimer family high in the Pecos wilderness of northern New Mexico.

off into the woods to take a leak he would come back with a flower and not to disguise the fact that he took a leak, but to just make it an occasion I guess.

"It was a wonderful time for all of us, all the different guests and most of them physicists who brought some ideas with them.

"Also the meals were so strange, peanut butter and Vienna sausages with whisky was a favourite. And we’d get so drunk with being high up in the mountains we’d all act silly, I guess. When it came to the rainy season we noticed that it didn’t rain quite as much at night, so we started to ride at night." Oppenheimner harked back to his hippy days when he first cast eyes on the awesome blast from the first atomic bomb in New Mexico in July 1945 by famously quoting from the ancient Hindu text the Bhagavad Gita:

'I am become death, the destroyer of worlds '

Sadako Sasaki one of hundreds who died of leukaemia 10 years after the Hiroshima bomb

How the West was wrong-footed by the psychopathic monster responsible for the Soviet Union's first A-Bomb, Joe-1

SHORTLY after the atomic bombings of Japan in 1945, Stalin issued an ultimatum to Lavrentiy Beria, the feared head of the NKVD, the Soviet secret police ordering, the “bomb” to be built and tested within five years NKVD Special Department “S” was established by Beria to organize intelligence documents gathered about the U.S. bomb and to accelerate the research efforts.

The bomb was ready for testing within four years.

The Russian scientists would have preferred testing their own design but opted for a copy of the US Trinity device because Beria had informed them that they would be executed if the test failed. The result was an almost exact copy

of the Fat Man device dropped on Nagasaki and

could manufacture and test nuclear weapons As promised, executioners in black leather were in the bunker at the time of the test.

The test on August 29, 1949, took the West completely by surprise.

To the embarrasment of President Truman, the day before he had published an intelligence estimate produced by the CIA's Office of Research

and Estimates (ORE) which assessed that mid-1953 would be "the most probable date for a Soviet nuclear test.”

This assessment paper was coming off the presses when filter papers loaded with radiological debris from JOE-1, codename for the Soviet bomb, were being taken off aircraft in Britain and America

From 1949 to 1993, at least 456 nuclear weapon tests were conducted in a remote part of eastern Kazakhstan, in the province of Semipalatinsk.

The psychopathic Beria, the architect of the 'Great Purge' responsible for the death of 30 million people, had less than four years to enjoy his success; he was brutally murdered soon after Stalins death in 1953.

But although Sue Davis upheld her brother’s last wishes up to her death, the experience changed her life.

into her 70s and was once arrested for helping to blockade the Faslane nuclear submarine facility on the Clyde.

Sue died in November 2010 aged 83 after

Recently her long battle for justice has been revealed in a stash of letters and correspondence she left behind.

She became a peace campaigner and CND activist, visited Hiroshima and Nagasaki and was a frequent visitor to the Greenham Common women’s peace camp.

She was still active well

befriending other iconic nuclear activists like Shirley Denson, whose husband Eric also died after taking part in the same nuclear tests as Squadron Leader Davis.

One of the most revealing the relief applied for I suppose the real answer is that they were “scared stiff” of giving any relief in your brother’s case as it might open the door to so many more ”

Nuclear campaigner Sue Davis and (inset) the damning MoD admission

Lavrentiy Beria

Death on Christmas Island

Radiation wasn’t the only danger facing thousands of troops stationed on Christmas Island for H-Bomb tests in the 1950s, as these dramatic pictures show.

In one of the island’s grimmest days two squaddies lost their lives after recklessly plunging into the warm, azure blue waters surrounding the isolated Pacific atoll.

For just beyond the deceptively inshore waters lurked a deadly reef that plunged thousands of feet into the abyss.

The two unwary swimmers soon got into difficulties as they were caught in the deadly undercurrent generation by the reef.

Their mates could only watch helplessly as they were swept away. A helicopter scrambled to help managed to pull one of the luckless swimmers from the raging surf. But he was already dead

The

other was swept away and drowned as he struggled in the turbulent surf. Onlookers eventually managed to drag him from the water, but it was too later. He was later pronounced dead.

RAF man Chris Collins stationed with 1325 Dakota Flight managed to record the dramatic rescue attempts on a 35mm cine cameraa, as the events unfolded.

His pictures show the Whirlwind helicopter rescue as a winch man plucked one of the swimmers from the waves.

The other picture show the lifeless body of the second swimmer being brought ashore. The last picture shows the covered body on the beach.

Nuke bomb blessings to end

Russian priests have long appeared in images sprinkling holy water on ballistic missiles, to bless them.

But the bizarre practise is set to stop if the church approves a document drawn up by an Orthodox Church commission.

"The blessing of military weapons is not

reflected in the tradition of the Orthodox Church and does not correspond to the content of the Rite," the document, on the Moscow patriarchate's website, says," adding:"Blessing or sanctifying weapons that can kill an indefinite number of people" must be excluded from pastoral practice " The proposals will be discussed until June 1 and the public should also take part in the debate, the church's Moscow branch said Meanwhile, the armed forces are building their own sprawling cathedral at a themed park outside Moscow.

Between Heaven and Hell

If you want to know the true story of Britain's nuclear bomb tests and the devastating effect it had on the men who took part, then Between Heaven and Hell by award-winning investigative journalist Alan Rimmer, is a must. Available on Amazon

not be ignored.

Customer Review

5 0 out of 5 stars

Reviewed in New Zealand

'I'm surprised you're still alive...'Words that still haunt me, By John Simes.

reviews Between Heaven and Hell has had from readers throughout the world. reviews

5 0 out of 5 stars

Reviewed in the USA

Would highly recommend to all atomic veterans & families. Easy to read & very to the point. Pity the powers that be in the UK have bags over their heads & purse strings with padlocks on How anyone can deny the facts is beyond belief especially in this day & age. I had not realised how bad things have been among the UK vets, my only previous knowledge was with the NZ vets

Well worth the read

Customer Review

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mprehensive

Reviewed in the United Kingdom

Verified Purchase

Many books have covered various angles of these harrowing events, but often they have focused on one particular area and have been swamped with indigestible technical information, quite useless and baffling to the majority of the general public. This book has filled a gap in the market it draws together the essential essence and evidences required to formulate and understanding of the scenario

Alan Rimmer has succeeded in writing in a compelling and easy to understand fashion - I found it difficult to put the book down and read it in a matter of days

The importance of the wider public and our society obtaining and reading this book is colossal This is a book which simply can

A horrifying story of lies and deception by governments of all colours which continues to this day. Exposes the MOD as a corrupt and incompetant orginisation in dire need of being shut down and replaced The suffering imposed by the British government on those it was and is supposed to protect and serve is truly horrifying One shudders to think what lies and distortions are being perpetrated in todays's world!

Best book I have read for ages. Reviewed in the United States 5 0 out of five stars

I chose this rating because it is a very informative book Also it gives you a history about what happened that was never known.

I was visiting Gloucester docks in 2001 with my wife and two friends and we were looking around the antique centre there. I came across a military memorabilia stall and struck up a conversation with the owner who had served in the Royal Engineers as I had. I told him about my posting to Christmas Island and how I was attached to work with scientists from the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment (AWRE). He was very interested to learn that after one of the bomb tests, codename Flagpole from the Grapple Z series, I had visited ground zero just 24 hours after the blast I told him I was in normal

dress (shirt and shorts).

Standing nearby was another man, a very short man, who excused himself and said he couldn't help but overhear what I was saying.

experiments involving using tin canisters for measuring blast waves. He seemed to know Lord Penney quite well.

The authoritative book that has it all

My Dad was on one of the New Zealand ship when they did the testing so it helps me understand what he went through 9

He told me that he, too, worked for AWRE working with Lord Penney, the chief scientist for the Bomb project.

He proceeded to tell me he was involved in various

I was called away at this point by my wife, but I'll never forget this man's ting words. He d: "I'm surprised u are still alive " missed the chance ask him a few re questioins and I ve always regretted He must have had ot of knowledge out what was ppening at the ts Since then I ve started to estigate exactly at went on at those ts. There are a lot clues to the cumstances in the ious court gements handed wn to the nuclear veterans all those years ago. I have made my own calculations and I plan to discuss them with scientsts who know what they are talking about soon.

John Simes on Christmas Island

Did US Race Laws turn Klaus Fuchs into the greatest spy in history?

What turned Klaus Fuchs into the world's most succesful spy?

Academics are asking the question after a new document about the notorous traitor was uncovered in government archives

It takes the form of a letter, dated 14 July 1944, from Sir James Chadwick, head of the British mission to the Manhattan Project, to scientist Rudolf Peierls.

Marked 'secret' the letter tells of Fuchs's reluctance to go to Los Alamos, the centre of the atomic bomb programme because he wanted to go back to England.

Chadwick explained: "I have had a talk with Fuchs himself. He feels that he has a special contribution to make in England, whereas in Y he would be one of a number and can make no really significant difference

to the work "

'Y', of course, was the codename for Los Alamos, and what puzzles academics is why would Fuchs, who had already sold atomic secrets to the Soviets, want to turn down such a golden opportunity to penetrate the heart of the A-Bomb programme?

The answer to the puzzle could lie in the memoirs of Peierls who wrote in his book Bird of Passage about his stay in New York with

F chs at the me.

e tells of an cident when he as greatly ubled while velling to ashington hen a black mily were rred from aring a rail rriage with hite people. ierls and his fe Genia also ted that most the staff at eir hotel were black. He wrote: "We learned much about their problems. While there was no official segregation or descrimination, it was in practice very hard for an educated black person to find a suitable job

"Once we noted a lift operator reading a mathematics book In job applications, the employer was not allowed to ask about the applicant's race, and blacks with good qualifications would often get as far as an interview;

but when they walked into the room they realised that they had no chance "Colleagues working in government laboratories told me that for civil service appointments no interviews were held, so as not to prejudice the chances of out-of-state candidates.

"As a result, nobody in these laboratories sacked his secretary since her succesor might turn out to be black "

He then recounts how he was barred from hiring a secretary for his office because of the colour of her skin.

He was told it was impossible to employ black staff because the white employees, including those from Britain, would object. He was told to turn black applicants down on merit, otherwise they risked being brought before a Senate committee for practising descrimination.

Outraged, Peierls wrote:

“This game I would not play. I told the personnel officer that if I interviewed a black girl and she was

suitable, I would recommend her appointment and they could take it from there."

Peierls doesn't explain what happened after that, but he added: "I was wondering how Fuchs would react to this. I knew his feelings on these matters were if anything stronger than mine "

This is a revealing comment which could easily be one of the reasons why Fuchs decided to go to Los Alamos, a move that enabled him to hand all the secrets of the atomic bomb to Stalin on a plate.

According to Fuchs's 1950 confession, he had intended only to alert the Soviet Union to the possibility of a bomb

Then he was persuaded to give more, but he insisted at first that it would only be his own work. Later he passed on much more.

The reason for this change of heart could well have been his disgust at the same racism that had so outraged his friend and colleague Rudolf Peierls.