BNTVA Journal Winter 2011

IN REMEMBRANCE OF THOSE WHO DID NOT MAKE IT THIS FAR AND IN SUPPORT OF THOSE WHO HAVE

CAMPAIGN The Journal of the BNTVA Registered Charity Number 1131134 TM

Winter 2011

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BNTVA AGM & Conference

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Friday 4th May- Sunday 6th May 2012

To be held at Heathlands Hotel Bournemouth

12 Grove Road, Eastcliff, Bournemouth, BH1 3AY This is your chance to book and reserve your room for the conference and AGM A booking form is included with this edition of the magazine, bookings can only be made using this form

The Gala Dinner on Saturday 5th May at 19.00 Hours The following dress options, Blazer and grey trousers, Lounge suit, or Dinner suit and black tie fulfil the Gala dinner dress code For those members and supporters who will not be staying at the hotel, the cost of the Gala Dinner is £17.50 per person. The booking form should also be used for attendance of the Gala Dinner only. Payment is due with the form.

We have been able to arrange a special discount of 50% reduction on standard National Express coach fares for all those who wish to attend the Conference AGM in Bournemouth in May 2012. See page 4 or the supplied form for details.

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The Chaplain writes

Keeping up the Standard BNTVA Conference AGM Bournemouth 2012

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Friday 4th May- Sunday 6th May 2012 We have been able to arrange a special discount of 50% reduction on standard National Express coach fares for all those who wish to attend the Conference AGM in Bournemouth in May 2012.

These special discount fares can only be booked on the internet or by telephone.

Available on journeys to/from Bournemouth only 2 people per booking Bookable from 24 October 2011 for travel between 7 May 2012 - 14 May 2012 Must be booked at least 1 day in advance of travel 50% off standard National Express fare Not available on special offers Tickets can only be purchased online or via the Customer Service Centre Standard booking & distribution fees apply Tickets are non refundable or amendable

The promotional code is BOURNE50.

This should be quoted on the phone or inserted into the relevant box on the website.

The website link is www.nationalexpress.com/coach/offers/discounts/promocodes.cfm

Customer Service centre telephone number 0121 452 8007.

Remember to quote the promotional code.

It has been my privilege to take part in two important and moving ceremonies in the past month, in the company of many members of the Association. On 10 September, National Atomic Veterans’ Day – at the climax of the Service of Thanksgiving in the Chapel at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, we walked in procession (“marched” would be too strong a word!) for the re-dedication for the BNTVA Memorial. It is hoped to replace this with a more imposing stone monument in due course. The ceremony was enhanced by the very fine playing of the Last Post and Reveille.

was entrusted to The Dean and Chapter to be laid up permanently in the Cathedral.

The service was followed by a congenial tea and impressive presentations by our Chairman, Nigel Heaps, and Jeff Liddiatt about the future direction of the Association. There was a very good spirit about the meeting, and although some members have expressed misgivings about the change of focus in the Association, there was an opportunity for good conversation and, as one veteran acknowledged, “We’re not getting any younger and we’ve got to keep the story alive.” That is exactly the point ……

‘Pompey’ was certainly the right setting, because it was from that port that the first servicemen set sail for Australia at the outset of the British Nuclear Tests almost 60 years ago, and our beautiful memorial is situated in the Cathedral garden on the north side. It was there that we gathered – about 60 veterans, widows and their families. At that moment the heavens opened, but we held the Ceremony of Remembrance all the same and, as one widow put it very sensibly, “A bit of a soaking is a small price to pay!”

The second ceremony, of course, was the service of Choral Evensong which was on 6th October in Portsmouth Cathedral, in which I led the prayers. At the conclusion of the service, the National Standard

After tea, we gathered in that strange and intimate Cathedral for the formal service of Evensong, at which the Association was warmly welcomed by the Canon in Residence, Canon Michael Tristram.

The ritual for ‘laying up’ a Standard is a very important one, and in churches and cathedrals up and down the country there are scores of Standards from the three Armed Services, usually commemorating particular regiments and their battlehonours. In Chichester we have those for the Royal Sussex Regiment, as might be expected.

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At the conclusion of the service, I, as Chaplain, went with Dean David Brindley to the main Altar to receive the Standard.

There followed a poignant little ritual as the Standard was passed to the Dean with these words, spoken in a very clear voice

by Derek Heaps: “Reverend Sir, I ask you to receive the National Standard of the British Nuclear Tests Veterans’ Association for safe lodging in this house of God until such time as it shall pass to dust like those whose courage and devotion are enshrined in its history.”

The Dean responded: “We receive this Standard into the safekeeping of God’s house, here to hang for all time as a reminder of those who pass by of our duty to God, and of the men and women of the Association whose memory is enshrined in the Standard.”

The Standard was then laid upon the Altar and we departed with God’s blessing. After the service, a splendid buffet was served in Cathedral House.

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I know some of our members have felt that the Standard should not be laid up - at least, not yet, but the decision was taken after long and careful consideration. Situated in the peace and tranquillity of the Cathedral, it will provide a focus for prayer and reflection for veterans and others who visit Portsmouth. It will be well cared for ‘for all time’.

Dare I say, that is a more dignified course of action than to keep it in a cupboard in somebody’s house, to be brought out a couple of times a year until there is nobody left who is able to carry it. I believe the course of action that has been taken was courageous and correct, and ensures the dignity befitting the Standard and those whom it commemorates.

Looking for friends from 1959

I was trained as a Clerk and my friends trained as drivers. All their army numbers were near mine. I was posted to Depot Regiment Chatham and the others to Christmas Island for 12 months and we all lost contact with each other.

During the first three months of 1959 I was stationed at 4 training regiment Royal Engineers in Aldershot.

They would have been present when the Atomic Bombs were tested. Does anyone know where they are and if they are alive?

Such occasions are inevitably tinged with sadness, but joy as well; part of that joy is to meet with old comrades, to share memories and tell stories: there was no shortage of those either in Alrewas or Portsmouth! Speaking of joy, we are about to enter the Christmas season. In the Cathedral of Chichester, we shall no doubt be singing “Joy to the World” among other seasonal favourites.

I have recently been joined the BNTVA Trustees with a particular task of representing the Maralinga Veterans.

May I therefore take this opportunity to wish all our members and your families a blessed and truly joyful Christmas.

My details are as follows: 23599954 Sapper Hindmarsh. I had three friends, Clive Durnin from South Wales, Stan Hughes from Blackpool and John Farrow from East Anglia.

Maralinga Veterans

Many thanks Sapper Hindmarsh 2359954

Until recently I was Chairman of the Maralinga Veterans Association until its unfortunate closure. At our last meeting it was decided that MVA members who were interested would be transferred to the BNTVA, although many members were already members of the BNTVA. I served in the RAF and was stationed at Maralinga during the Antler trials in 1957, living for four months in a tent alongside the airfield.

I look forward to meeting you all again, with new and old members at the Conference / AGM at Bournemouth in May 2012.

Please contact me, for any reason, my email address is fredstallard@hotmail.co.uk

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Laying up the Scottish Standard If ever anything highlighted the differences between Scotland and England it has been the last month, at Alrewas the temperature was 26ºc and when I reached home that evening it was 16ºc. Even today as I write it is about 15ºc and pouring with rain whilst England yesterday was the hottest September 30th ever and after talking to Jeff today it seems that October 1st is following the same pattern.

I have driven over a thousand miles for the Association this month, after returning from Alrewas, I set out on my travels for the Island of Lewis. Travelling from Lennoxtown to Ullapool to join the ferry for the Isle of Lewis, you can even notice the changing face of autumn as you pass up through the Highlands. The colours on with trees are further on with reds, yellows, and browns, even some birches shedding their leaves.

You can also check the temperature gauge in the car and see it dropping the further north you go.

However the day we crossed to Lewis the weather was much better, the ferry had been cancelled some days earlier, though there was a moderate swell as we crossed.

We were in Stornoway to lay up the Scottish Standard at Martin’s Memorial Church in Francis Street.

I have to tell you that we got a really pleasant surprise as we were listed amongst the guests of honour and

were included in The Lord Lieutenant of the Isles party. Mr Sandy Matheson and his Deputy Donald Martin could not have been nicer too us and along with the MSP for the Isles Mr Alasdair Allan they made us most welcome.

The day was organised by The Royal British Legion Scotland Stornoway Branch and I would like to thank them for the arrangements. It was of course also Battle of Britain Sunday and the commemoration of the Merchant Navy seamen who made the supreme sacrifice during the Second World War.

The Reverend Tommy McNeil conducted the service and it was an eye opener, he sits the children in the three front rows of the church until they go into the hall for their own Sunday school lessons. I have never been in a church in Scotland like Martin’s Memorial, happy and friendly and welcoming to us all.

During the service Roddy Moffat the Scottish Standard bearer was given his standard back to begin the ceremony of laying up. Tommy had not realised it was the Standard for the whole of Scotland and said he was deeply honoured that we had asked to place it in his church. The standard was then received by the Minister and stood by the altar for the rest of the service. It will be placed in the lobby of the church so it will be seen by all the people visiting.

The Lord Lieutenant inspected the parade after the service and reminded the Air Cadets that he had been a member of the same cadets as a young man. We then adjourned to the legion Branch for a word by The Lord Lieutenant and a toast to the FEW. A parting shot as it were, we had parked the car at the ferry terminal and were walking up to get addresses and a bite to eat for the homeward journey when we heard a shout “ah Jessie I’m glad I caught you” Sandy Matheson himself chatting to us in the street as if he had known us for years, some man?

Bob Smith

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British Nuclear Test Veterans Health Needs Audit ‘Where does the Health research take the Nuclear Test Veterans now?’

Marie-Louise Sharp, Policy Adviser for Health and Care at the Royal British Legion (the Legion) reports on the recent British Nuclear Test Veterans Health Needs Audit, October 2011, commissioned by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and carried out by Miles and Green Associates, Oxford.

As the Legion celebrates and commemorates throughout its 90th anniversary year and looks towards the next 10 years of its welfare work with the Armed Forces community, the Legion believes this involves continuing to stand shoulder to shoulder with all those who Served at nuclear test sites.

We believe this duty involves advocating for nuclear test veteran health and care needs into the future and recognising the Service and sacrifice given by over 20,000 veterans involved in the nuclear tests.

The recent research published on the health needs of the British Nuclear Test Veteran (BNTV) group aimed to assess the health and social care experiences, outcomes, and concerns of BNTV group.

The respondents involved in the research were taken from the British Nuclear Test Veterans Association (BNTVA)

membership with 633 individuals taking part.

The research included a questionnaire–based postal survey that assessed self reported historical and current health status and quality of life information. Respondents were also invited to take part in discussion groups to add qualitative description on their experiences, and views on the impact of the nuclear tests on their personal health and on the health of their descendants.

The best way to approach an analysis of this research is to review what it can tell us, assess what it can’t tell us, and ultimately suggest what really is important moving on from here.

What can the research tell us?

We can see a selection of health information and concurrent information on good and bad experiences of health and social care services. Some of the experiences are common to many other veteran groups accessing services in the NHS, such as the failings of priority treatment, lack of integration of health and social care services, and failures of veteran identification at General Practice level.

However some are far more specific to the BNTV group such as the lack of

knowledge in the NHS of the nuclear testing and experiences of veterans’ involved, clinical knowledge of the health effects of radiation and the historical lack of health screening specific to the BNTV group. It is also however worth noting the many good accounts of healthcare treatment on the NHS in the survey responses.

Veterans were also asked their views on whether their health was affected by their participation in nuclear tests, 51% said they were certain or thought their health had been affected by participation. In addition 29% of respondents were certain or thought there was a link between their participation in the nuclear tests and their descendant’s ill-health.

Some of the main headlines of this research are that; - 91% of respondents report having being diagnosed by a doctor with a serious or long term condition since their participation in the nuclear tests.

- Five disease categories represent over 60% of all the reported conditions – musculoskeletal, cardiac, diseases of the digestive system, cancers and genitourinary disorders.

- The problem most affecting individual’s quality of life are those who reported living with pain or discomfort (72%).

- The number of those who reported currently living with multiple long terms conditions (between 2-10 conditions) was 72% of all respondents.

- The diseases most commonly diagnosed when respondents were 65 years of age and over were cancers.

- Cancer is ranked the 4th most prevalent ‘ever had’ condition and then ranked 6th in the ‘current conditions’ suggesting that half of these respondents were now ‘cancer survivors’.

- In addition of note, is that anxiety, depression or stress was ranked 4th in the top 20 ‘current conditions’.

What can’t the research tell us?

The research design can not offer any comparisons of BNTV health outcomes to the general UK population and therefore can not assess whether respondents health statuses are better or worse than might be expected. This is a massive deficit from the research and a huge failing in the aims and design of the research commissioned.

Whilst the creation of a control group to compare the BNTV health outcomes data to would be a lengthier and more costly process, for real analysis that bears weight in comparison to UK health population data, it is sorely needed.

Indeed the Kings College cohort research funded by the MOD that follows Op Telic 2003 individuals provides just such a control group to make its research valuable in health comparisons.

Most obviously the research can not provide any causal data linking health outcomes with radiation exposure at tests sites and indeed the research specification was not intended in the least to do this.

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Additionally the research can make no causal links to descendants’ health outcomes as indeed they were not directly surveyed and even if they had been, the lack of causal design in the research would still stand.

One respondent’s quote stood out for me in terms of the weight of causal health beliefs; ‘I don’t know how it’s affected my health. How can a layman know what a medic doesn’t know, and the MOD won’t tell you’ From one perspective, the figures in the research relating to what the BNTV group believe about their own health conditions, is a red herring. This is not to take away from the importance of these views and voices, however it highlights the lack of real medical knowledge and research concerning exposure and causation, and that this failing really resides with MOD policy. One could believe their illness is directly related to their participation at nuclear test sites and it have no association and one could believe their illness was completely unrelated and in reality it be directly relatable, but as it stands we have no full scientific picture to help our understanding.

What really matters from here on?

Reform – The Department of Health (DH) need to take on board nuclear test veterans experiences within the NHS and institute policies to improve the situation.

This includes improving understanding and knowledge of nuclear testing and to consider instituting a specialised

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medical group that pools best expertise and creates a knowledge bank for all NHS clinicians to refer to when treating nuclear test veterans. In addition the DH needs to make priority treatment work and must improve knowledge amongst clinicians of how to access military medical records, as well as identifying veterans at GP level. Lastly the needs of the BNTV group need to be recognised in the Murrison mental health recommendations implementation plans.

Recognition – The Legion does not believe the Government’s stated sentiments of recognising and being grateful to all those who participated in the nuclear testing programme has been borne out by action. There is a need for open and frank dialogue between the MOD and the nuclear test veteran group. The lack of information at the time of nuclear testing, the lack of health screening historically and the current MOD legal action against the group, all compound the notion that the MOD does not want to accept, discuss or recognise the Service and sacrifice given.

Additionally getting access to nuclear testing information and understanding some complicated scientific evidence is not easy and indeed the burden of this responsibility should not be placed upon the veteran but upon the MOD. Research - One way the MOD could look to address the relationship of mistrust in the future would be to commission a study using cytogentetic testing. The HPA in 2007 suggested that consideration

should be given to repeating the Massey University study with a larger group of veterans. Equally the feasibility of undertaking a wider epidemiological population based study, using the broader BNTV population should also be considered with haste.

The Royal British Legion stands shoulder to shoulder with all those who Served at nuclear test sites and we will continue to hold the Government to account in partnership with the BNTVA.

Redress – The governments of Canada, the US, Australia, New Zealand and Russia have all recognised that there was risk involved in nuclear testing and have made steps to compensate their Service Personnel accordingly. The workings of the War Pension Compensation scheme force all claimants automatically to tribunal and this is not standard practice for any other veteran group. The harsh treatment of these UK claims compared to the US is clear when one sees that in the US compensation awards are attracted by presence at a site, plus one of a list of conditions proven to be linked with nuclear testing.

The full report is availab le on the internet using this link

The Government has recently enshrined into law the Armed Forces Covenant that recognises the unique nature of Service and sacrifice made by the Armed Forces.

It advocates that no disadvantage should be suffered by those who have Served, and that special treatment is appropriate in some cases. The Covenant is equally based on respect, support and fair treatment.

If this Covenant is to mean anything in reality, British Nuclear Test Veterans deserve Reform, Recognition, Research, Redress and ultimately Remembrance.

http://www.mod.uk/ DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/ CorporatePublications/ HealthandSafetyPublications/ NuclearTests/

For those who do not have internet access we have 150 paper copies to be distributed on a first come first served basis. Please send your requests for hard copies to the London office address: BNTVA BM5657 London WC1N 3XX

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Christmas Island Visit - 2011

Australian family on their way to Ireland, and a three-man film crew from England who were making a tourist film, with a mainly fishing emphasis.

Recently I had the opportunity to visit Christmas Island. was last there in 1958 for Grapple Zulu.

The reason arose, when a near neighbour, Mrs Barbara Penny, a fellow member of the East Anglia Branch of BNTVA, planned to visit the Island and distribute donated monies to the island schools. We were accompanied by my wife, Marlene, my fellow navigator John Muston and Barbara’s daughter and son-in-law.

The latter, once they realised our nuclear test background, arranged a question and answer filmed interview with myself and John, which will be incorporated in the forthcoming DVD.

The crabs are smaller, the beer weaker - Tennants to Bud Lite and Miller Lite - all the equipment left to rust among the vegetation had all been cleared away, and we didn’t get sprayed with DDT while we were there.

The weekly Air Pacific flight from Honolulu descends and as you crane to see the Island again a coastline appears, turning left over London, crossing the multicoloured lagoon, getting closer to the coconut palms, and then you’re down on the old runway, taxing to the reception area and you’ve arrived.

The biggest change was the population increase. In 1958 there was a small number of Gilbertise down at the port area who were brought to the Island to harvest the copra. Now the place has a population of about 4000, living in villages near London, with one (Banana) close to the airport and Poland remotely situated on the south side of the lagoon.

Accommodated at the old Officers Mess site, our party stayed in the bungalows overlooking the beach.

With the sound of the waves pounding the reef and a constant cooling breeze, we settled in for a week of glorious weather, good food and trips round the Island visiting the schools.

Christmas Island is part of the Republic of Kiribati, and the capitoi and trade centre is some 2000miles distant to the West. As such Kiritimati - the native name - is at the end of a long supply line and that brings problems. (We were asked to bring out cement).

Changes? The main camp has reverted back to nature, though we did find the remains of a church just off the beach.

Schools have computers but if they go u/s there’s no spares to fix them; on a different level, toilet systems don’t flush - a bucket of water suffices.

For those of you interested go to www.castinqatshadows.com and buy the DVD.

As you can see from the photo, John and I found one relic from our era.

The people and especially the children, are lovely - bright-eyed and bushy tailed - with a cheerful disposition and very outgoing and friendly.

Though the main tourist attraction is sport fishing, the Captain Cook Hotel had only three dedicated fishermen (American). The rest were a diverse lot Apart from our party of six, there was a trio of Australian scientists checking out the coral and water levels, a Spanish foursome - marine conservation and fish stocks - a young

Our return took 53 years to find the money and the impetus to go back, but it was worth it. It’s the largest coral atoll in the world, in the middle of the Pacific, undeveloped, bearable tropical climate, people great; and the memories.

John Conning 29 Eastfields Narborough King’s Lynn, PE32 1SS 01760 337370

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66 years ago, US scientists exploded the world’s first nuclear device in New Mexico. Just three weeks later, two nuclear bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, instantly killing some 200,000 people. Tens of thousands died more slowly of injuries sustained in the blasts or of radiation sickness.

The Stepping Stones of Nuclear Weapons History

The three bombs changed the course of history. When the Soviet Union conducted its first test in 1949, the global nuclear arms race was on.

On 3 October 1952, the United Kingdom joined the growing nuclear club with its “Hurricane” test, conducted in Western Australia.

Altogether more than 2000 nuclear bombs were tested during the Cold War years. Most of them, like those detonated by the United Kingdom and witnessed by many BNTVA members, were infinitely bigger than the bombs that fell on Japan.

Why the CTBT aims to end all nuclear explosions, forever

The tests ratcheted up international tensions. They also released huge amounts of radiation into the atmosphere and ground. Often, unsuspecting military and civilian personnel paid the highest price.

In the vicinity of some 60 nuclear test sites worldwide local populations still

suffer higher than average cancer rates and congenital defects, while many areas will remain fenced off for generations to come.Conceived and negotiated in the spirit of optimism following the end of the Cold War, the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) outlaws all nuclear tests, everywhere. It is crucial to non-proliferation and disarmament efforts.

Since it opened for signature in 1996, the Treaty has gained the support of more than 180 countries worldwide. But nine nuclear holder States have still to ratify before the Treaty can enter into force. Until that happens, the threat of resumed nuclear testing and a renewed arms race hangs over mankind.

The CTBTO must remain neutral in any ongoing disputes relating to compensation for veterans of the nuclear test programmes.

However, we strongly believe that their voices should be heard for the benefit of future generations and to create awareness of the health and environmental hazards of nuclear testing.

Any BNTVA members prepared to talk to us about their experiences are invited to contact Angela Leuker (angela.leuker@ctbto.org)

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BNTVA New Contact Details BNTVA BM 5657 LONDON WC1N 3XX

24 Hour Call Back Service

0208 144 3080 National Chairman Nigel Heaps Email chairman@bntva.com Skype: nigel.heaps Tel: 0780 7268016 Nige 25DFA01C

National Vice Chairman Jeff Liddiatt

Registered Charity Number 1131134

This is the only correspondence address and telephone number for the Association.

Trustee Derek Heaps Email derek.heaps@gmail.com

Trustee Bob Smith

Email vice-chairman@bntva.com Tel: 0780 7268016 Jeff 25F9CC08

VACANT

National Secretary Vacant

Trustee Ian Greenhalgh LLB

NEW Trustee Lisa Bainbridge

Email ian.greenhalgh@greenhalghs.net

Email -

Shop Manager & Trustee Trevor Butler

NEW Trustee Stephen Evans

Archive Administrator & Trustee Doug Hern

New Trustee Fred Stellard

Email hernie36@gmail.com

National Treasurer Carol Longdon

Have we got your correct address details?

Chaplain The Very Revd Nicholas Frayling BA, LLD Dean of Chichester Email dean@chichestercatherdral.org.uk

London Events Organiser & Trustee Don James

Can you please check that your correct address and postcode is shown on mailing address labels on any communications that we send to you? If we have the incorrect address (especially postcode) please contact us and let us know the correct details. See the opposite page for the Association’s contact details.

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Lisa Bainbridge joins the BNTVA You’ll probably be thinking “she would say that wouldn’t she”, but of all the organisations that I’ve meet with in my role as the Head of Public Policy at The Royal British Legion, the BNTVA is by far my favourite!

I could barely contain my joy when Jeff asked me if I would be a Trustee and jumped at the opportunity.

I think that the reason I love working with the BNTVA stems from the approach taken by the association and its leaders. The BNTVA never insists, but is clear in its purpose and looks to achieve its goals with grace and good humour. After my initial meeting with the BNTVA my first impression was that there was a clear case of injustice for the government to answer, but also how nice it was to leave a meeting still smiling.

I’ve been working for The Royal British Legion now for six years now, and am proud to be associated with an organisation that does so much to support those in need. Things have certainly progressed since I joined the Legion, most recently demonstrated by the publication of the Armed Forces Covenant. While this document might help to ensure that those who serve now and in the future are protected by a stated duty of care, it continues to be difficult for government to admit the mistakes of the past, and to protect and care for those who have already given so

much. I think this is felt most acutely by members of the BNTVA and veterans of the first Gulf War. I’ve also seen this in my own experiences. I’ve not always lived in the UK, but came here following my short Service in the Australian Armed Forces, serving for seven years in the Royal Australian Army Ordinance Corps. My parents also served my mum in the Women’s Royal Australian Army Corps (WRAAC) and my dad in the Special Air Service (SAS) Regiment. Of course my mum had to be discharged from the moment she married, but my dad went on the serve for 20 years and completed two tours of Vietnam. Dad always said he was lucky to be in the SAS, because they always came back to Australia in the cover of darkness and were whisked away in secret, unlike the National Servicemen who were put in front of the protestors and media, who were not backwards in demonstrating their disgust with Australia’s involvement in the War.

It took 20 years after the end of the Vietnam War for the troops to be welcomed home to Australia and for their Service to be recognised.

I remember how proud my dad was to go to Sydney and march with the Regiment and to meet lost friends from both Australian and abroad.

Of course it took a little longer for the government to make sure that those who went had access to health services, which would help them come to terms with their experiences and compensation for things like exposure to Agent Orange, which not only affected those who deployed, but also their children.

I’d like to say it was my dad’s Service that inspired me to join to Army, but it wasn’t. I guess I was like a lot of young people unsure of what to do with my future, but ready to get out into the world on my own, the Army felt like a good option to a 17 year old me. I was one of the lucky ones and served in a peacetime army leaving just before Australia went on active deployment to East Timor, the first time the diggers had deployed to a theatre of operations since the Vietnam War. Being based in Australia also meant that I could finish school. I went back and did A levels (equivalent) while I was based in Brisbane. And while I never got posted overseas, I did manage to travel all over Australia while I served and picked up a HGV licence along the way.

The last unit I served with was 2 Field Logistics Battalion in Townsville, and of course being Ordnance Corps was generally involved with the supply of bullets and bombs, along with anything and everything else.

I spent many an hour in front of a microfiche looking for the right NAOT Stock Number! As I was leaving 2 Field were getting pretty good at the logistics game, we’d just converted an old shipping container into a fully deployable, dust-free, air-conditioned office for our computers, including satellite link-up. Our new toy enabled us to order stores from the middle of the Australian bush onto overnight flights straight to our location. We got to try out our new kit during my last exercise, Kangaroo ’95. All I can remember of it now is as being camped out in the middle of the Northern Territory for three months with the temperature never getting below 30ºC and the canvas shower areas being complete see through when the sun was setting behind you (you just can’t trust those engineers)!

I left the Army having loved my time there, but more than ready for something new, unfortunately I still didn’t really know what that was! I decided to take advantage of my English heritage and visit the place where my granddad was born – Hammersmith. Hopefully I would find what I was looking for during my European travels, and I did.

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In 1998 I started working at the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) and spent seven years there. I was lucky that my manger saw something in me and supported my aspiration to study politics and the social sciences, which I did with the Open University. He also gave me my first job as a policy adviser. The NFU was great training ground for me - I worked on a wide range of topics and with some really talented people. Then just as the NFU was moving to Coventry, the Legion advertised for someone to look after

Christmas Island Posting In 1957 a circular came round asking for a volunteer to head RASC Services, Christmas Island. No one applied, I imagine, so I got the job, aged 25, two pips.

The UK was in a huge hurry to catch up with the Soviet Union and the USA which had both exploded hydrogen bombs. So Christmas Island was reopened, following, A-bomb trials over Malden Island, in order to test the far bigger megaton and hydrogen bombs off Christmas Island itself. Our small unit met at Heathrow. We crossed the Atlantic first class, Monarch Airlines, stewards with gold braid serving champagne, all paid for by HM Government.

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their public policies – finally I could use my experiences in the army and the skills I learned at the NFU to help improve things for those who serve.

I’m grateful to Nigel, Jeff and all of the BNTVA members for allowing me get involved. I look forward to meeting and talking to you all – particularly getting your views on how we can continue to make the BNTVA great.

I’ll hopefully see you all at the AGM. Lisa Bainbridge

As the UK was so short of exchange I only had $10 personal allowance. We were billeted in New York in a modest hotel, and spent time sightseeing with nothing to spend. As I wore uniform, kind Americans thought I was Canadian and bought me drinks. We crossed the USA to Los Angeles, to spend three sticky August nights in the airport, no money, sleeping on chairs, waiting for a following wind to carry our Canberras all the way to Hawaii. Waikiki Beach. You see it. We sat on it. Three days. US canteen food and quarters, those lavatory cubicles without doors, the Union Jack flying not for us but because it is the Hawaiian flag from Victorian times.

Then flying “First Class” on bucket seats in a RAF Transport Command Hastings to the island, on arrival we were greeted by a sergeant in a dusty Landrover. The trip was through coconut palms to London Point, where our unit was to be stationed, well, tented.

Royal Marine major in overall charge wanted to offload everything that day despite the danger. As the surf grew worse one of his landing craft tangled a line in its propeller and drifted towards the reef. Have you seen terrified Royal Marines waving for help?

RASC Services comprised the island’s bakery, under Staff Sergeant Jones; the DUKWS under Sergeant Nicholas; and the petroleum farm managed by a lancecorporal and his team, later reinforced with Sergeant Tripper.

We launched a DUKW and edged towards the LCT but by then the seas were too much. We got one marine off before we were swamped.

I messed with the Royal Navy, by the lagoon. Although the island was an RAF station the Royal Engineers formed a large Army element engaged in laying the airfield in readiness for the bomb drop.

We had no contact with them.

London Point was the port – call it that – to Christmas Island. Lighters landed everything there, especially the petroleum which was pumped straight to our rather leaky tanks.

It was all hand-to-mouth. The bakery worked well, baking bread every night for the whole island garrison. My DUKWs’ main duty was to unload drinking water from a landing craft off Malden Island.

We flew there by Dakota; the DUKWs went by sea. To me, and the drivers, this was the best job in our posting.

On one such tour the sea grew rougher, with huge billows known as combers rolling across the Pacific, hitting Malden and throwing up huge surf waves. The

The DUKW went down. I thought I’d drowned. Next day, in perfect calm after the storm, there was the DUKW half buried in coral grit, squashed flat, my camera jammed in the glove compartment. The only roll of film I ever took included this picture of a DUKW beaching with my chaps ready to winch her ashore.

We were to experience the first hydrogen bomb explosion of the series, the culmination of the UK’s vast outlay and effort to remain one of the Big Three powers. That is described by Air Vice Marshall Wilfred Oulton in his book, Christmas Island Cracker.

He doesn’t mention us. John Hart

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Tom Pierce is not a well man Before he leaves us for that greater world in the sky, he is seeking help in contacting and speaking with Neil Sutcliffe.

“I cannot blame the island for this cancer,” says 78 year-old Tom. “I left in the August before the November drop took place but Neil remained with Plant Troop doing our job of maintaining the surface of the island’s runway. (Mr Pierce seems to have have forgotten the 15 May 1957 explosion which scientists later called ‘a damp squib’).

“I never ever found again my buddy, Lance Corporal Neil and I have kept his photo by my side all these years in the hope that one day we may find each other,” writes Tom from his home now in Vancouver, Canada.

6ft 5in tall Corporal Tom and ‘Lance-jack’ Neil, both Royal Engineers, served together from March 1956 to August 1957 on the Pacific atoll of Christmas Island (now Kiritimati) during Britain’s preparations for the testing of its devastating nuclear bombs.

“Privately educated in Kingston upon Thames (his father was Chief Water Works Engineer of the town), fairheaded Neil was about five years younger than me and lived with his parents and two sisters in the big house attached to the Plant. I have a feeling that he probably would not go on to university but that his upbringing and so sociable manner would steer him towards a career in sales. Indeed, before National Service he worked a short while selling agricultural implements, I believe.

“Neil and I had a great camaraderie together, born out of sharing a twoman tent in the heat and humidity of that distant British coral outpost, working alongside one another on the airfield with the indigenous Gilbertese islanders and even as temporary

shipmates sailing on the aircraft carrier HMS Warrior for a week’s momentous leave in Hawaii.

“I loved the Veterans get-together but am disappointed that in this present day and age nobody got together to have a digital record of veterans. I recall meeting with Dave Robertson and two other guys but sadly Neil Sutcliffe wasn’t among them.

“My wife Jean and I have sort of come to terms with my fate. The oncologist has said that it’s unlikely that the chemo will work. As for the good news, he has raised the threshold and now thinks I may have 6 to 12 months available less some time for home Hospice care. Couldn’t get much better than that.

The Daily Mail’s “Missing.......and Found!” column has turned me down, damn them, but their private researcher Gill Whitely has accepted the challenge to find Neil but whether she is successful only time will tell and Tom doesn’t have that time.

You can gather why I’m so excited for, thanks to you, I’ve just spoken to Neil Sutcliffe, the long-lost Army friend with whom Tom Pierce was so anxious to make contact. I am absolutely delighted at the result of our quest together (the brandy bottle is out and is taking a bit of a hammering!) and I’ve already broken the good news to Tom in Vancouver.

He, like me, could hardly contain tears at the outcome.

Tom, who will speak to Neal tomorrow (it’s a bit late right now), has particularly asked me to thank you and those whose help I’ve solicited these past few weeks - for all your effort in so successfully locating Neal.

Let’s be honest, to track down a guy whom Tom had never set eyes on in over 53 years - and who could have been living in the furthest part of this world let alone in a tiny hamlet in Dorset - speaks wonders for your skill and detective work.

From a sincere heart, I thank you and trust that you will gain great satisfaction from a job well done.

Gillian the researcher contact details are GilliamWhitley@aol.com

In memoriam Sadly the Trustees wish to announce that on the 24th July 2011 Sylvia Holdsworth wife of Wally Holdsworth of the West Yorkshire Branch passed away.

Sylvia will be sadly missed by all members of the West Yorkshire Branch.

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Essential Oil Remedies for Autumn and Winter Seasonal changes and shifts in temperature herald an upsurge of coughs, colds and ‘flu at any time of the year. Keeping warm from the inside with soups and hot drinks can help to reduce the symptoms and good nutrition to boost the immune system can not only help us to avoid illness, but also to deal with it quicker if we do succumb.

Essential oils extracted from plants can be a great way to avoid or deal with illness too. First of all, a word about the quality of the oils. Please do not buy the cheapest oil you can find as it will most likely be synthetic or mixed with another cheaper oil and so its qualities will be unknown and may even be harmful. It is better to buy one or two good oils than several cheap ones.

The essential oil should smell as if you have just crushed the leaf in your hand and inhaled the scent. Essential oils should almost always be diluted as they are concentrated and can cause irritation if used neat. One of the exceptions to this is Lavender, which can be applied to a burn to reduce blistering and infection while aiding regeneration of the skin.

For winter time we want a blend which will help our bodies to fight infection. The most commonly used are Eucalyptus, Lavender, Myrtle, Pine and Tea Tree.

These form a good basic kit for winter ailments and also allow for varying the blend.

Making a blend: 6-12 drops of essential oil blend added to 30mls carrier which can be a bland cream or lotion for use on the skin, to apply to the hands as an antibacterial, or to upper chest or back.

A really good way to use it is to apply to the feet and then pull on old socks to allow the oils to soak in overnight. In baths, only 3 drops of the blend need be added as the oils disperse well and are inhaled also. One drop of a blend can be added to a bowl of boiled water and the evaporating oil can then be inhaled – less messy than using Friar’s Balsam, but with the same effect! If you prefer showers to baths, add 12 drops to a bottle of bland shower gel and shake the bottle well to mix it.

Suggested blends Eucalyptus 20 drops or Myrtle 20 drops Lavender 10 drops Pine 20 drops Tea Tree 10 drops Make up two dropper bottles with the blends and then add drops of either blend to the chosen carrier as described above. It is important to alternate the oils, so after three weeks of one blend change to the other or have a complete break for a week.

This prevents a build up of the oils.

Please remember that Lavender can cause drowsiness so be careful if you are going to be driving or using machinery.

All the above oils are non toxic and non irritant when diluted. Several chemists now stock essential oils or they can also be ordered by telephone or using the internet.

Suggested reputable suppliers are: Aromantic Ltd, 17 Tytler Street, Forres, Moray IV36 1EL Tel: 01309 696 900 or Fleur, Honesty Cosmetics, Lumford Mill, Riverside Business Park, Bakewell, Derbyshire DE45 1GS Tel: 01629 814 888.

Catherine Crawford will be attending the Conference/AGM and will be available to give advice on Essential Oils and Nutrition.

Eucalyptus the most commonly used species is blue gum, Eucalyptus globulus but if you can find eucalyptus citriodora it gives a lovely, refreshing lemon scent to the blend. It is decongestant, antibacterial, antiseptic, expectorant, and balsamic and so can be used forrespiratory problems such as asthma, bronchitis, colds, ‘flu, sinus and throat infections.

Lavender must be the most well known essential oil as it is so versatile. In a winter blend its antiseptic properties make it ideal for treating coughs, colds, catarrh, sinus and ‘flu.

It is also an oil to keep in the kitchen to apply to burns as it prevents blistering, is antiseptic and promotes healing.

Myrtle is part of the same family as Eucalyptus and Tea Tree.

It is antiseptic, bactericidal making it particularly good for pulmonary infections and chronic lung conditions. It has an uplifting, refreshing yet soothing effect and can also be used as an aid to sleep.

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Pine with its strong, balsamic scent is excellent for respiratory problems – asthma,bronchitis,laryngitis, ‘flu. It is also anti-inflammatory and antiseptic.

Place the blended or mashed vegetables in a pot and add enough stock to give the desired texture, then add the onion and garlic and tomato puree and season to taste.

Add another stock cube if required.

Tea Tree with its antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antiseptic qulities is excellent in a blend for asthma, bronchitis, catarrh and even TB and whooping cough.

Once you have the basic soup, you can play around with flavours: try sweet potato instead of carrot; use red onions instead of white; add chopped red and yellow peppers, beans or bacon pieces for a more satisfying lunchtime soup; spice it up with a pinch of cayenne or 2 tsps of grated ginger. It can also be used as the base for a casserole by adding more cooked potatoes and carrots roughly chopped, diced ham or sliced sausage such as chorizo. A swirl of single cream, or plain yogurt and a sprig of parsley give a finishing touch.

Add a warm, crusty roll and you have a great lunch or dinner main course.

Winter Soup Soup is an easy yet satisfying food to create and can be eaten all year round in varying forms. It can be a starter or made into the main course itself by adding protein and chunkier pieces of vegetable. A simple carrot soup recipe can easily be adapted by substituting or adding ingredients Ingredients for basic Carrot Soup (use organic vegetables if available) 3 large carrots, finely chopped 2 medium onions or 3 small, finely chopped 2 small potatoes 1oz butter, or tblsp of oil of choice 2 cloves garlic,crushed Dissolve one vegetable stock cube in 500mls boiling water (increase amount to cover the vegetables) I tblspTomato puree Salt, pepper to taste

Add the chopped carrot and potatoes to the boiling water and allow to simmer for 20 minutes, or until they are soft. While these are cooking, lightly fry the onion in melted butter until the onion is translucent but make sure it does not brown.

Crushed garlic can be added just before the onion is ready so it is lightly cooked but not bitter. Allow the vegetables to cool then scoop them into a blender but save the stock. If you want a chunkier texture, just mash the carrots and potatoes and add some stock back to thin the soup.

Apart from being an easy way to have your five-a-day, soup ingredients can also have great health benefits.

Carrots really can help our eyesight because they are a rich source of betacarotene. Our bodies convert this into vitamin A which helps to strengthen cells against viruses, prevent cancer and fight heart disease.

Carrots contain chromium which helps to stabilise blood sugar levels. Onions and garlic have warming, expectorant, antiseptic and tonic properties.

They are invaluable in helping the body to fight off cold and ‘flu viruses but they have also been found to help cleanse the blood and reduce the level of cholesterol. Potatoes are antiinflammatory and can have a calming effect on the respiratory system.

Tomatoes are a source of betacarotene but they also contain lycopenewhich has been found to help prevent cancer.

Cooking tomatoes makes it easier for ourbodies to absorb the lycopene.

They can also provide vitamins C and E which are powerful antioxidants, helping to boost our immune system.

Ginger is antiseptic and has a warming effect on the body which is good when you feel a cold coming on, or if you’ve been out in the cold or wet. So, next time you have soup, think about all the goodness it contains.

Catherine Crawford.

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Ways to pay your annual BNTVA membership subscription

BNTVA Shop Window

Set out below are the methods you can use to pay your membership subscription.

By Standing Order using the personalised form included with this edition of the magazine.

By using the BACS system take your cheque or cash into any HSBC branch make out the paying in slip with the following details: HSBS Bank plc 13 Parliament Street York YO1 8XS Sort code: 40-47-31 Account number: 64259651 Account name: British Nuclear Veterans Association Amount: £15.00

By using your own Internet Banking account make the payment using the details below left.

PayPal payment to: secretary@bntva.com If you are unable to use any of the above ways to pay, cheques made out to the BNTVA only can be sent to the following address: BNTVA BM5657 LONDON WC1N 3XX

A Big thank you!

Trevor Butler has decided for personal reasons to retire from running the BNTVA shop at the end of the year. Trevor has run the shop for a long time and the trustees wish to publicly thank Trevor for the way he has run the shop, obtaining the best prices from suppliers, fulfilling orders by mail, attending events and running a sales stall.

A special word of thanks must go to Doris for her unstinting support of Trevor in all his work with the shop.

D!!

E T N to

WA ministratoolrthe

d tr An a nd con , is this a run A shop V BNT

YOU

Band 1 items For Get Me Not Lapel Badge NEW ITEM Car Badge Blazer Badge BNTVA Lapel Badge Cuff Links Key Fob Tie Clip Trolley Token Bookmark Grapple Tie BNTVA Tie woven BNTVA Tie printed

£3.00 £3.00 £12.00 £2.50 £5.00 £2.00 £3.00 £1.00 £3.00 £9.50 £10.00 £7.50

Band 2 Items Caps Baseball Scarves Fleece Scarves Silk Shirts Small to XXXL

£11.00 £12.00 £13.00 £12.50

Band 3 Item Fleece Small to XXXL Mugs NAVAD & BNTVA

£22.00 £6.50

Band 4 Item Tankard Glass

£20.00

ALL PRICES PLUS POST AND PACKING Band 1 add £1.00 Band 2 add £3.00 Band 3 add £4.00 Band 4 add £5.00

Trevor Butler Shop Manager 75 Woldcarr Road Hull, HU3 6TR Tel 01482 571431 Fax 01482 569241

32 | CAMPAIGN Winter 2011

Valerie and Derek Heaps would like to wish the Trustees and members of the BNTVA a very happy Christmas and a happy New Year.

We hope to see you all at Bournemouth for the 2012 AGM.

CAMPAIGN Winter 2011 | 33

Forget me not Trademark TM

As from the 2nd June 2011, the Forget Me Not badge is now a registered trademark of the BNTVA.

Campaign magazine is published by the British Nuclear Test Veterans Association.

Editor: Jeff Liddiatt.

Next issue copy Deadline 28th February 2012.

BNTVA is not an anti-nuclear or an anti-war association.

All opinions,views and quotations do not represent official BNTVA policy and are the sole responsibility of the writer.

Photographs and images – Š Copyright of owner acknowledged.

Campaign cannot guarantee total accuracy for any reproduction of letters / articles / transcripts. BNTVA is a Registered Charity Reg. No 1131134 supporting past and present UK Nuclear Test Combined Service Veterans and their families.

Message from the editor This is my last edition of campaign as editor. Just a word of thanks to those of you who have supported the magazine with contributions and articles during the years while I have been editor. Steve Bexon our designer is taking over the production of the magazine.

All contributions for the magazine in future should be sent to the London address or emailed to editor@bntva.com

Royal British Legion Education Pack 2011-11-22 Copies of the 2011 RBL Education Pack are available.

Please send your request for copies to the central address.

Written request only will be actioned.

Single Travellers!

We understand that the decision to travel alone can be a tough one to make.

Our small group escorted holidays are fully geared to the needs of mature single travellers.

We escort groups to: Europe, Russia,Thailand & China

left on your own (unless you so choose) • Never No single or room sharing • Experiencedsupplement Tour Managers • Many excursions • From £649 inc. included • “Having told friends and family that China was going to be my last holiday I am now saving my pennies for the next one.

With One Traveller of course”

FREE entry for disabled visitors and their carers saving at least £8.70* • Escape the winter blues and lose yourself around and under some of the most iconic aircraft in the world.

Get hands on with award-winning interactive exhibitions. IWM Duxford is home to an impressive collection of over two hundred aircraft together with a fine collection of tanks, military vehicles and boats.

• Duxford contains some of the nation’s best preserved RAF buildings including three original First World War hangars.

Listen to an air raid in the 1940 Operations Room.

Grace B China Holiday

• Eight indoor exhibitions, restaurants and cafes.

• Ample FREE parking.

• The Gowrings Mobility events team will be in AirSpace’s Conservation Hall. *Visitors wishing to take advantage of this offer during the roadshow should contact Gowrings Mobility for an invitation to gain admission.

Lo-Call 0845 608 8020 www.gowringsmobility.co.uk/events

for our latest brochure contact Ian Darkin (son of Bob Darkin, TBU Grapple Z)

0844 8005053 (BT 5p/min)

or visit www.onetraveller.co.uk ONE TRAVELLER Ltd., Thetford, Norfolk IP25 7DE

This important medal is a joint commission between the Australian and British Nuclear Veterans Associations providing medallic recognition to veterans who served in nuclear test site locations and supporting bases in Australia and the Pacific between 1952 and 1967.

Next of kin or direct descendants can also apply.

The obverse of the medal depicts the nuclear symbol surrounded by the words 'British Nuclear Weapons Tests in Australia & Pacific' and the reverse dramatically features a detonation cloud and the words 'For Service in Radioactive Areas 1952-1967'. The ribbon is white on the edges representing the blinding white flash that comes before the fireball and then subsides to the fireball which has the reddish fire in the centre and becomes the familiar mushroom shape.

An easy care 100% polyester navy blue tie has been tastefully designed with stripes matching the ribbon colours and bears an authenticating label on the reverse.

For further information and/or an application form contact Award Productions Ltd, (Dept. NNL) PO Box 300, Shrewsbury SY5 6WP, U.K. Tel: 01952 510053 Fax: 01952 510765 E-mail: award@crown-lane.co.uk

The Australian Nuclear Veterans Association and the British Nuclear Tests Veterans Association are the beneficiaries of this project.

www.awardmedals.com

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