BNTVA Campaign Magazine Summer 2020

BNTVA SUMMER 2020

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Reader’s Stories Tales from the Membership

• Details of new fast track war pension claims for British nuclear test veterans.

• New welfare services and friendship groups.

• Introducing the BNTVA Collection.

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

Bob Ireland, 1938-2020 At the time of going to press we have been informed of the sudden death of Robert (Bob) Ireland from a heart attack. As many of you will know, Bob served in the Merchant Navy, witnessed Grapple X and Y and was a member of the Merchant Navy Association in Liverpool. Bob was the first person to be given an NCCF honorary lifetime membership.

Bob was the BNTVA Organisation Manager and later took the position of Secretary. He was a great asset to the Association, and in 2018 retired from the BNTVA as a trustee. He continued working for the benefit and wellbeing of British nuclear test veterans and their

families by becoming a Trustee of the NCCF. Bob was the first person to be given an NCCF honorary lifetime membership.

More information will follow from the NCCF concerning details of Bob’s funeral arrangements.

Bob's passing is a loss to his three daughters, Janet, Diane and Angela, the NCCF, the BNTVA and the cause of the British nuclear test veterans.

Members relate how Bob was such an approachable and friendly man.

BNTVA CONTENTS

Contents Obituary Bob Ireland, 1938-2020 Bob was the BNTVA Organisation Manager and later took the position of Secretary. He was a great asset to the Association, and in 2018 retired from the BNTVA as a trustee.

Page 2 A Message from the Chair from Ceri McDade.

Page 3 Remembrance and Reconciliation from the Very Rev. Nicholas Frayling KStJ. BNTVA Chaplain.

Page 4 Introducing Project Reunite The BNTVA has recently secured funding from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust COVID Fund to connect veterans, wives and widows as part of Project Reunite.

Page 7 Academia and Research News Including articles on: Non-medical Letters of Support.

Book Award: Disarming Doomsday.

Participants Needed for Research.

Page 8 Operation Mosaic 1956 A story from Andi Jones.

Page 10 My Time On The Island A story from by Jack Hassan.

Page 12 Military Service Michael John Parker 23503178 Sapper (7th May 1941- 26th May 2006). Transcript of notes shared with us by his daughter.

Page 14 Operation Dominic A story from Kenneth Bainger MBE.

Page 16 The Over the Fence Exhibition and the BNTVA Collection A report from new BNVTA Curator Wesley Perriman.

Page 17 Operation Hurricane 1952 A few items from the BNTVA collection from Operation Hurricane by Wesley Perriman.

Page 18 Crossing The Line

by Wesley Perriman.

Page 19 BNVTA Events Including: National Atomic Veterans Awareness Day plus others...

Page 21 BNVTA Appeal Brian Cole, Christmas Island Veteran, 1957, is looking for attendees of the first meeting of British nuclear test veterans at the Central Hotel.

Page 22 BNTVA Board of Trustees

Page 25 BNTVA Competition Are you or a member of the British Nuclear Survivor Community you know in need of an electric wheelchair?

Page 25 DNA Genetic Testing Kits A new leaflet from Brunel Centre for Health Effects of Radiological and Chemical Agents (CHRC) Advisory Board.

Page 27 Puzzle Page

Page 28 Ways to pay your annual BNTVA membership subscription

Page 30 Contact page

We want to hear from you...

If you would like us to interview you about your time spent at the British nuclear tests, or if you'd like to share any stories in our next magazine.

Please email info@bntva.com, phone 0208 144 3080 or write to BNTVA, The Smithy, Defynnog, Brecon, Powys LD3 8SB.

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A Message from the Chair Dear Member, Welcome to the Summer edition and a Medal Campaign Update.

After adjusting for six months into a new way of life, where the whole world engaged a new invisible enemy in the form of the coronavirus, it seems life won’t return to a normal routine anytime soon.

Despite an easing of lockdown in the four UK nations, many people have suffered a very difficult time after losing family and friends, the inability to visit loved ones in hospital, restrictions on funeral attendances, lack of physical contact, difficulties with shopping, a halt to outpatients’ appointments and surgical procedures, delays in diagnosis and health management.

The coronavirus has affected everyone, but has had a devastating effect on vulnerable people in society, including older people, those living alone, people with immunity issues, and those suffering from acute and chronic health conditions.

Our British nuclear test veterans often straddle one or more of these groups due to age and disability, and, after speaking with many veterans, wives, widows and descendants on the phone over the past weeks, the message of suffering from social isolation and loneliness comes through time and time again.

The BNTVA has responded to these

fallout, or tales of everyday life

issues by securing a major grant

– in fact, anything you would like to

from the Armed Forces Covenant

share.

Fund Trust to connect veterans in our shortly-to-be-unveiled website, and address emotional and mental health issues through additional services. Veterans have made it very clear that they have differing preferred methods of communication, and we have listened. We are looking to embed zoom conferencing on the website for virtual meet ups, and separate chat rooms for veterans, wives, widows and descendants.

For those who prefer chatting over the phone, we are introducing Telephone Friendship Groups for up to six people at a time for a weekly hour-long chat.

We have been contacted by dozens of veterans, who, due to staying at home as a result of COVID-19, have been searching out photos, and relaying accounts of time spent at

2020 has also seen both VE and VJ celebrations as we remember the end of the Second World War, and the advent of nuclear weapons by the Americans at Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. It feels both strange and unfair that 75 years on from the destruction of this first uranium bomb, the British nuclear test veterans who have been exposed to ionising radiation at the hand of the MOD, still haven’t achieved tangible recognition from the British government. Chloe Smith MP, wrote to our patron Sir John Hayes MP in June, stating that the BNTVA's claim for medallic recognition has been passed to the Advisory Military Sub-Committee.

We await the outcome of their next meeting, yet are currently unaware when the meeting will take place..

the British nuclear tests. Part of the grant funding we have been awarded will be used to digitise

Ceri McDade UniDip (Theol.) PGCert (M.H.Psych)

photographs, as well as collate oral

PGDip. (Soc.Res.)

stories of time spent at the tests.

BNTVA Chair

All stories are important to this collection, whether recounting witnessing the bomb, cleaning up

BNTVA REPORTS

Remembrance and Reconciliation I was speaking on the ’phone to one of our Veteran members the other day and asked how he was coping with ‘lockdown’. Like many of you, he is classified as especially vulnerable. His reply has given me much to think about: ‘I’ve had lots more time than usual to remember.’

When we gather as an Association – perhaps at our Arboretum Memorial or in more local gatherings – we have a formal Act of Remembrance. This is entirely right and proper, because to remember is to pay tribute, and those Veterans who have died, and for that matter their widows and descendants, deserve nothing less. On such occasions, I often speak about the Cross, that central symbol of the Christian faith, and its power to transform suffering into hope and sorrow into joy.

But for those who served, Remembrance is a more constant preoccupation. A social highlight of my year is the annual Christmas Dinner of the Pompey Vets (I live in Portsmouth and the lads are very kind to me!). Each year, long before we have sat down, they are swapping stories and memories, always with a mixture of happy nostalgia and of sadness. We have a moment of silent Remembrance before dinner.

Our Association does not need to be reminded of the obligation to remember; but of course, part of

that remembering involves telling the stories to new generations who cannot even remember the Cold War, let alone nuclear testing.

That is why the July letter from our new Chair, Ceri McDade, is very important. Ceri wrote: ‘The charitable objects of the BNTVA remain as a Charity providing welfare for veterans and their families, research into radiation exposure, and education in the wider community concerning British nuclear tests. We are working by continuing the medal recognition campaign, and access to war pensions.’

Those aims and objectives are of great importance, and Ceri followed them up with an excellent video message which I commend to all readers – you can click here to see it: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=eaXyqFd9IxQ. I want to make it clear that I offer my wholehearted support to the new Chair and the strong and capable Board of Trustees, all of whom are Veterans or Descendants of Veterans. They are well qualified

to understand and serve the needs of our members, and – which is their main duty – to administer the Charity with integrity and due diligence.

Ceri and her team are having to grapple with many challenges, among them those facing the whole charitable sector in the light of the Corona virus and what may follow.

They deserve the support of all who have the best interests of the BNTVA at heart.

During my thirty-three years as your Chaplain, I have seen the Association weather a number of storms. In each case, it has emerged stronger and more resilient than before. I am sure that will happen again after recent resignations and a spate of unfortunate social media posts.

This leads me to step gingerly into that particular minefield, because when social media becomes a place to share negative thoughts about other people, usually in anger, not only is it very hurtful, it is also liable to ruin your own reputation - a fact that is usually forgotten. Ctd pg 5.

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Introducing Project Reunite The BNTVA has recently secured funding from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust COVID Fund to connect veterans, wives and widows as part of Project Reunite.

The Project has commenced to link BNTVA veterans, after enduring the loneliness of lockdown, social isolation, anxiety, and disappointment from hearing about the cancellations of the BNTVA Conference in May, and the All Tests Reunion in September 2020 due to COVID-19. This grant covers bringing awareness of the BNTVA to reach veterans who may not yet have heard of us through advertising in military magazines and newspapers.

We are delighted to announce the formation of a new partnership of collaborative working to develop and enhance welfare services for veterans, wives and widows. The BNTVA and the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund (RAFBF) are aiming to bring veterans together to unite, reunite, and provide a forum for sharing and chatting on a weekly basis over the phone. This service is open for all BNTVA veterans from the Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. The Project seeks to provide emotional and welfare support in the following ways by providing:

Telephone Friendship Groups (TFGs).

After remote volunteer training in safeguarding and facilitating takes place in early September, the BNTVA will be ready to provide facilitators to run groups of six veterans at a time on an audio-conferencing service provided by the RAFBF and The Silverline Charity for older people.

These groups will be specific for BNTVA members, and, if popular, will be extended postCOVID. The environment will be relaxed to encourage chatting, finding commonalities such as tests attended or geographical location, searching for old friends and colleagues, and sharing interests on a weekly basis for an hour. If you are interested in being included in this service, please contact us on 0208 144 3080, chairman@bntva.com or by post. Likewise, if you are interested in volunteering to facilitate a group, please contact us as soon as possible.

Listening and Counselling Service The RAFBF runs a listening and counselling service, which was primarily set up to cover the waiting period for people accessing NHS treatment.

Due to the effect of COVID on emotional wellbeing, the BNTVA is linking into this confidential and personalised service for veterans, wives and widows of the Army, Royal Air Force, Royal Navy and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. The service has been set up for those who feel they could benefit in sharing personal issues with a trained professional. If you are concerned about your wellbeing, feel you need to be listened to, are coming to terms with grief, a life-changing diagnosis, living long-term with chronic conditions, or are experiencing the challenges of a life-limiting diagnosis, then please do get in touch to access emotional support and talking therapies. This service is extended to family members who care for someone else, or who are being cared for. Trained counsellors will make a personal visit where possible, and provide up to 12 free counselling sessions. If you feel you need the support of the Listening and Counselling Service, please contact confidentially on 0208 144 3080.

BNTVA NEWS

Collation of a Digitised Library of Photographs and Stories

Remembrance and Reconciliation continued...

The BNTVA has begun purchasing specialist digitising equipment under the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust grant, to allow production of good quality copies of photographs and relevant documents.

More to the point, in the case of a Charity, such actions are liable to bring the organisation into disrepute.

This will be the start of creating a BNTVA Digital Archive, which Wesley Perriman, our Curator, will report on in the next magazine. We have started interviewing veterans about their experiences around the time of the British nuclear tests and hope to be able to share these on the website and at exhibitions as COVID-19 eases.

Project Fallout - Veterans’ Foundation Project Fallout continues under a recently received second tranche of funding from the Veterans’ Foundation.

This enables the BNTVA to provide specific training to trustees and volunteers through the Volunteer Network, and purchase more Amazon Fire tablets for those who wish to connect online. Please contact 0208 144 3080 if you would like a tablet. The tablets don’t come with automatic internet connection, you will have to check and see if you have Wi-Fi available to connect.

If you are interested in volunteering for the BNTVA, we would love to hear from you. As part of the Volunteer Network that is being formed, we welcome a range of skills and experience, from becoming involved one-to-one with phoning matched members regularly, interest in helping at future events, preparing articles or letting us know any specific talents and skills that you may have.

Safeguarding and specific training will be offered under Projects Fallout and Reunite at no cost to yourself. Please contact on info@bntva.com, by post or 0208 144 3080.

Fast Track War Pension Form After discussion with Johnny Mercer MP, and the Office of Veterans’ Affairs (OVA), the BNTVA provided evidence for the new leaflet being produced concerning eligibility criteria for the British Nuclear Test Veterans War Pensions applications.

The initial leaflet stated that veterans had to provide film badge readings for the tests they had attended. After we were approached by the OVA, we provided documentation from veterans confirming that they were either not issued with a film badge or, for those that were, that readings weren’t taken.

Since submitting this evidence, the OVA has changed the wording to ask if veterans were issued with a film badge or dosemeter.

The form is called the Nuclear Test Veterans (NTV) Priority Claim: Enquiries/Request Form. This is to fast track War Pension applications.

If you require assistance completing the form, please contact info@bntva.com.

FORM OVERLEAF...

I began with one Veteran’s reflection on Remembrance, and his awareness of its significance. This is at the heart of our Association, because the costliness of injury and illness, ‘attributable to service’ in the official jargon, is so often denied or belittled.

Our Veterans, their widows and descendants know better.

To remember is indeed to pay tribute. May our remembering help us to support the BNTVA in its work for the living; and, with God’s help, to make it our priority to build a more just, inclusive and peaceful world. Those who have gone before us would expect nothing less.

This comes, as always, with the promise of my thoughts and prayers, especially at this time for those who are in isolation and separated from family and friends.

If any members would like to be in contact, an email to info@bntva.com will find its way to me.

With all good wishes

Very Rev. Nicholas Frayling KStJ BNTVA Chaplain

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Claiming compensation for conditions relating to exposure to ionising radiation

What happens next?

Who can apply for compensation under the War Pension Scheme?

Some of the things that we need to collect in order to consider your claim might include:-

War Pensions are payable in respect of illness or injury due to Service in HM Armed Forces before 6 April 2005, with the bene昀t of reasonable doubt always given to the claimant. Decisions are medically certi昀ed and follow consideration of available service and medical evidence, where evidence supports a causal link to service, entitlement will be given.

• Con昀rmation of attendance at the tests • Con昀rmation of the duties you were involved in when you were there

In order to consider your claim Veterans UK will collect relevant information from sources both inside and outside the Ministry of Defence.

If you can provide copies of any supporting documentation such as reports from your GP/hospital this may help us deal with your claim faster.

How to apply You can make your claim by downloading a claim form.

Help and Support

If you think your condition was caused by exposure to ionising radiation during the UK nuclear test programme it may speed up your claim if you also complete the additional form.

Making a claim

What information is needed?

The BNTVA may also be able to assist you as they have a wealth of knowledge to share and have links across the world with other Atomic organisations including America, France, Australia, Fiji, Christmas Island and New Zealand.

• You need to tell us what condition is being claimed • You need to tell us which nuclear tests you were at • You need to tell us about medical treatment that you have had

Free independent advice is available from the Veterans Welfare Service or other charitable organisations.

If you disagree with our decision

If you are only claiming for conditions linked to exposure to ionising radiation, you don’t need to complete the section relating to:-

You can appeal your decision to an independent tribunal.

• Reporting injuries • Whether there were any witnesses

You can contact any of the service charities or support organisations including BNTVA who can o昀er personal representation at appeal hearings.

Information for British Nuclear Test Veterans

Health Studies

Over 20,000 military personnel were present at the UK nuclear weapon tests between 1952 and 1967 in Australia and the South Paci昀c. The tests were the largest tri-service event since the D-Day landings.

The protection, health and welfare of those involved in the operations was a vital consideration. The tests were carried out to the highest contemporary radiological standards, minimising fallout.

The UK conducted 12 major nuclear weapon tests in Australia between 1952 and 1957. The explosions occurred at the Montebello Islands, Emu Field and Maralinga.

A few hundred smaller scale tests were conducted at both Emu Field and Maralinga between 1953 and 1963.

A set of four nuclear weapon test series were also carried out by the UK in 1957 and 1958 at Malden Island and Christmas Island in the Paci昀c Ocean as part of the British hydrogen bomb programme. In total nine nuclear explosions were initiated as part of this series.

Information for British Nuclear Test Veterans

In response to health concerns of some Nuclear Test Veterans in the 1980s, the Ministry of Defence commissioned an independent study into mortality and cancer incidence among nuclear test participants. The 昀rst report was published in 1988 with two follow up reports in 1993 and 2003.

The studies compared the overall mortality and, cancer incidence and mortality, in over 20,000 participants with that of a similar-sized control group of ex-servicemen who were age-matched, had served around the same time and had deployed overseas but had not participated in the tests. A comparison was also made with the UK general community.

The third NRPB study published in 2003 followed the groups to the end of 1998 when cause of death was established for 23% of participants and controls.

Interest in the health of nuclear test veterans has continued and in 2017/18 the Public Health England (PHE) review of study information found that about 55% of those present at the tests had now died, meaning that the statistical power of any further study to detect di昀erences in the mortality of cancer incidence and mortality would be greatly increased. The Fourth study, commissioned in 2018, will extend the analysis by a further almost 20 years, again considering overall mortality and cancer incidence and mortality and comparing Veterans present at the tests with a control group of age and sex matched Veterans serving at the same time but who were not Nuclear Test Veterans, and also with the UK general population. It will also consider variations in risk in the groups with time.

As the fourth study is part of a series, the methodology and outcomes studied must remain the same as in the other three in the series to produce meaningful results.

The report is expected in mid-2020 and the intention is to submit for publication in the mainstream scienti昀c literature. Departmental policy on ionising radiation related compensation will be reviewed in light of the 昀ndings and, if appropriate, revised.

Compensation claims for Ionising Radiation Related Disorders – MOD’s current policy.

Veterans, including Nuclear Test Veterans, who believe they have su昀ered ill health due to service can apply for no-fault compensation under the War Pensions Scheme which has no time limits and a low standard of proof – more information on how to claim is on page 5.

A revised departmental policy statement on claims for ionising radiation related disorders was published in December 2017. This updated the previous (昀rst) radiation policy dated 2003 which was informed by contemporary understanding of the e昀ects of ionising radiation and the NRPB reports to that date. The 2017 departmental policy re昀ected the several international reports and papers on the adverse health e昀ects appearing from 2003. The policy document content was validated by PHE and the Independent Medical Expert Group (IMEG).

Having carefully considered the overall contemporary medical and scienti昀c published peer-reviewed literature in the context of the war pensions onus and standard of proof, the normal policy in war pensions is that there is reliable evidence to raise a reasonable doubt that there may be a causal link between ionising radiation exposure and the following cancers:Bone

Breast (female)

Central Nervous System

Colon

Gall bladder

Liver (primary)

Lung

Oesophagus

Renal pelvis and ureter

Rectum

Salivary gland

Stomach

Thyroid

Urinary bladder

Claims will be considered on the case facts

Entitlement is accepted, as a presumption, and without consideration of case speci昀c facts for leukaemia (other than chronic lymphatic leukaemia) having onset within 25 years of 昀rst presence at the test sites as described above. The policy is however, not an acknowledgement that those present at the tests were exposed to harm.

BNTVA NEWS

Academia and Research News Non-medical Letters of Support “Dr Becky Alexis-Martin, Lecturer in Human Geography at Manchester Metropolitan University, undertook a social and cultural study of nuclear test veterans’ lives, entitled “Nuclear Families”.

Becky is happy to provide free expert non-medical letters of support for members of the nuclear community, to help explain challenges faced by veterans and descendants to GPs, social services and other sources of support.

If you would like to take advantage of this support, you can get in touch with her at B.Alexis-Martin@mmu.ac.uk

Book Award We are also delighted to announce that on June 15, Dr Becky Alexis-Martin won the British International Studies Association (BISA) L.H.M. Ling Outstanding First Book Prize for “Disarming Doomsday”, published by Pluto Press.

Dr Alexis-Martin has also been shortlisted for the Bread & Roses Award for “Disarming Doomsday”. We would like to thank Becky for her contribution to the Nuclear Community, and for her continued research with the British Nuclear Community.

Participants Needed for PhD Research “The British Nuclear Test Veteran: Nuclear Weapons, National Service, and the Soldier’s Body” is a PhD research project conducted by Fiona Bowler at the University of Southampton.

The project investigates the experiences of British nuclear test veterans involved in atmospheric nuclear tests, perceptions of radiation risk, and the impact of these experiences upon servicemen. It also examines the evolution of a community of British nuclear test veterans. As part of this project, Fiona Bowler is looking to conduct oral history interviews with British nuclear test veterans and their family members. The data will feature within her doctoral thesis, which will be made available to participants upon completion.

You are invited to participate in these interviews - if interested, please contact Fiona Bowler via email f.bowler@soton.ac.uk or telephone 07824 777005.

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Reader’s Story by Andi Jones

Operation Mosaic 1956 HMS Diana, Daring Class destroyer, was ordered in February 1945, and built by the shipyard of Yarrow & Co. She was laid down on the 3rd April and finished ready for launching on the 8th of May 1952. The 29th of March 1954 saw her get her commission into Her Majesties Royal Naval Fleet.

Her standard displacement was 2,830 tons, but when loaded this increased to 3,820 tons. She was 390 ft long, 53 ft wide with a draught of 13 ½ ft and a speed of 30 knots (though apparently, she was a wee bit quicker than that). Diana had a range of 4,400 nm and a crew of 308 on Commission 3, for the trip to Australia.

Her Captain for this commission was John R Gower DSC (some may remember his nephew David Gower; a cricketer and Captain of England). HMS Diana was commissioned on the 28th February 1956, and the ship’s company was made up of men from the West Country.

Initially, they travelled to Suez where Capt. Gower notified the crew about onward travels, and the trials at Montebello. They were told to arrive at Montebello by the 3rd May, and made fuelling stops at Aden, Columbo and Singapore. Captain Gower was told that the Ministry of Defence was to carry out two trials,

BNTVA STORIES

Mosaic 1 and 2, known as G1 and G2. Training started immediately; they covered the fin with polythene designed by the scientists onboard, and rigged a canvas covering all over the ship.

The ship’s company and the scientists rigged up and streamed various equipment over the side to measure the depth the fallout reached!

The basis of the tests, which had been planned since 1953 by the Chiefs of Staff, was to see what effect an atomic explosion would have on ships, their equipment, contents, and men! HMS Diana and her crew were made available to provide the answers. The tests were planned for May and June, which was the Australia winter, and the winds should blow from the west.

Now there's a lot more to this story, but I don't have the space within the page to include all the info on, so, I’ll skip some. On 16th May 1956, the device exploded. Action stations were called at 1220, and shelter stations at 1325 - this was the expected time of 95% of fallout.

No real effect was felt until 1915, as Diana was in the fallout, and fallout ceased at 2100. At this point, monitoring staff went out to take readings.

Mosaic 2 very nearly didn't happen due to adverse weather conditions.

Also, the crew didn't know that G2 was going to be considerably bigger than G1, which was 15kt; G2 was to be 60kt. On June 19th, the flash was observed at 1014 from a distance of 97 miles, with the fireball twice the size of G1. The double crack sound was colossal, and was heard over 200 miles away in Australia.

HMS Diana was signalled that fallout was to be at 1330, shelter stations at 1220, and the first traces of fallout were detected at 1325.

At 1440 the crew had detected radiation in excess of 10 milliroentgens, by 1845 it had dropped to 0.4, then all the work started again, wash down at 2245, and finished at 0020.

There is a lot more to this story to be told, I have an amazing 6-page document, written by Captain John Gower that my Father gave to me to read, and, yes, Dad was on HMS Diana, at Montebello in 1956, for both G1 and G2. He told me a lovely, but funny story about a little dog, called Simba.

Postscript There was an interesting paragraph in Captain Gower's notes. It wasn't known for some considerable time that the G2 weapon was supposed to have been 60kt (the British Government scientists told the Australian government that it was 62.5kt, yet the Australians proved it was in fact 98kt). The following orders were given, ''They were required to steam through the fallout from two nuclear explosions, to deliberately contaminate our ship and to continue to serve in a ship'',

parts of which had been unacceptably radioactive! The MOD's attitude remains the same, probably as it is today,

If you think you have “a case, prove it!! ” It went on to say that no individual can do this, one must accept it is a battle lost! Captain Gower wrote these words in 1994, 38 years after Mosaic, and passed away in 2007, aged 95. After Montebello, Diana went back to Singapore, and then was called to the Suez Crisis. On 31st October, she sank the Egyptian frigate Domiat, which was engaged in a one-sided gun dual with the cruiser, HMS Newfoundland. This was the last time a ship was sunk by another in a conflict using gunfire alone. There is more to the story, but I have found conflicts, and we know the then Prime Minister of the UK, Anthony Eden, gave mis-information to Robert Menzies PM of Australia regarding the yield of G2. It was actually 98kt. Some research states that the yield wasn’t known until 1984, and that the weapon was fusion based, hence the bigger yield. Even William Penney thought it was only going to be between 50-60kt - how wrong he was!

To all the Diana, Veterans and descendants, though I prefer to call you family, I hope the information I've written is as close to the truth as I can find out, with the notes I have, If anybody has any information reference Montebello 1956, please contact Andi Jones, BNTVA. a.jones@bntva.com 0208 144 3080

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Reader’s Story by Jack Hassan

My Time On The Island Christmas Island, Spring 1957 – Spring 1958 On completing my training with the Royal Engineers, everything over the coming weeks and months was something I definitely wasn’t prepared for!

Landing on Christmas Island at night time, the driver collecting us and taking us to Main Camp was marking something on his windscreen as he drove… Only later did I find out that he was keeping count of the crabs we were running over on our trip to the camp!

What have I done?!

I was stationed in the Main Camp as one of two engineers responsible for maintaining the 3 boilers that fed the cookhouses. I worked with a great guy called Sid Foster from Gateshead. I did visit him and his wife Fran, but sorry that we didn’t keep up the friendship...

On landing on the Island, on reporting for duties on our first day we were called Moon Men; because of our pure white skins!

It took some time to adjust to living in a tent to begin with… then we lived in the huts. There were 6 to a tent/hut and each had a pole outside it with a crab tied to the pole!

Each tent/hut painted their crab and put their tent’s name on the pole outside; our tent was “The Lea Rig” – named after a pub I drank in on Dundas Street back in Glasgow.

The Lea Rig had a Lance Corporal (in charge of the tent), 2 engineers (Sid and I, who were on 24-hour duty) and 3 stokers (who were on 3 hourly shift rotation between them).

One night we were at “the pictures” and a message came up, “Will the engineers go to Boiler No.1?” and, as Sid and I got up to leave, the audience started cheering for us!

Christmas Island is actually a coconut plantation – just imagine that

we could actually climb up the trees and knock the coconuts down, split them open and drink the lovely fresh milk! In the island’s lagoon – where we could have an occasional swim, there were big puffer fish that would blow themselves up in front of you whilst you were swimming!

I was lucky that I had an outlet for enjoying myself at Christmas Island – there was a band; Bill Skinner’s Dance Band (sometimes known as The Show Band) and the leader was Sgt Bill Skinner. Bill Retty was a friend who played trumpet, and I played with him back home in Glasgow. He wrote to me quite often trying to get me to come to Christmas Island to join the band because I played the alto sax and that’s what the band was missing!

BNTVA STORIES

As you can imagine, it was difficult keeping the band together with some of the lads coming to the end of their time on the Island, so during my time there, the band broke up. I took over as leader at one point until such times as we eventually finished and became a quartet of sax, drums, bass and piano!

Each regiment had a 1st and 2nd football team – I played centre half for my regiment’s 2nd team and I played in the 1st team on one occasion: luckily scoring the winning goal!

As it turned out, we had some good times playing in the Officer’s Mess and the Sgt’s Mess, but our OWN Mess provided the largest audience by far! We played “How would you like to spend Christmas on Christmas Island?” nearly every night of the week!

The Fijian army were also stationed on Christmas Island and their football team were so fit and fast… they would have knocked you over and you wouldn’t have known what had hit you – they were BRUTAL!

We even played in the island’s church. The organist was ill, so Bill Skinner arranged for 2 trumpets and 2 saxes to go and play some hymns in the church.

I flew to Honolulu for leave (for 6 days) – not bad for a youngster from Glasgow! We sunbathed on Honolulu’s renowned Waikiki Beach, and were almost black with suntans

– funny to see all the pale millionaires lying on the beach trying to get a tan, wondering who on earth all these dark, tanned young men were. We’d come a long way from our pale Moon Men skins on arrival at the Island!

I witnessed two atomic bombs and three hydrogen bombs being tested; when the atomic bombs were tested we were given a day for the first one… and when the hydrogen bombs were tested we got a day off for all three of those…

But my time on the Island gave me lifelong experiences and memories and I hope this jogs up similar fond memories for some of the people.

by Jack Hassan

Photo by David Trinder, Christmas Island 1957-58

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Military Service Michael John Parker 23503178 Sapper (7th May 1941- 26th May 2006) [transcript of notes shared with us by his daughter].

On the 7th February 1957 I travelled from home to Southampton. Had a Medical, and joined the army (BOYS SERVICE) On the train to Chepstow (ARMY APPRENTICE SCHOOL) Beachley Camp, which was to be my training base and home, for the best part of the next three years, where I was to train as a plant fitter and best of all get a proper education!

ABOUT CHEPSTOW. This was before the first Severn Bridge was built and motorways were just starting. Beachley Camp at that time was a collection of wooden huts and a workshop on an old shipbuilding site, between the River Severn and Wye, there was also a ferry crossing to take traffic from Wales to England.

On the 17th of December 1959 57A apprentice party as we were called, passed out and I joined the ROYAL ENGINEERS. 18th December 1959 – 10th May 1960.

No1 Training Reg Cove Nr Farnborough Hants. Combat training and awaiting next posting.

10th May 1960 – 22nd September 1960 No5 Field Sqd Paderborn Germany. Part of BAOR. The cold war was underway.

22nd September 1960 – 7th March 1961 Royal Engineers HQ Chatham Kent. Continue my trade training I was determined to reach of my trade.

The Medway towns, Chatham, Gillingham, Rochester were the main base for the Royal Engineers.

7th March 1961 – 28th April 1961 Back in Paderborn but not for long. I was off to (Australia) (Maralinga) Today this seems like a short trip, but in 1961 it was the start of a great adventure!

29th April – 15th June 1961 Headquarters RE getting kit and passport etc.

16th June 1961 Stanley Airport fly viscount turboprop to Singapore via Istanbul and Bombay.

18th June 1961 Arrived Singapore and spent two days waiting for a plane to Perth via Jakarta.

From Perth narrow gauge railway to Kalgoore and then the transcontinental railway to Maralinga (place of big thunder).

the top

BNTVA STORIES

To ďŹ nd it on a map 28.40 S 132.50 E between the Great Victoria Desert and the Nullabor Plain about as far from civilization as you can get but with a railway, about 35 miles away, and ideal spot to test the triggers for Atom Bombs and at the western end of the Woomera Rocket range.

I was there in my trade capacity to support the infrastructure and the testing. It was a pretty good posting but of course there was no social life, but it was good for my reading and I took a couple of GCEs as well enjoying the desert in my spare time.

All of a sudden in the late February 1962 an Atom Bomb Test series by the USA started on Christmas Island and overnight I was on my way ying to join the joint task forces at Pearl Harbour in Honolulu and after a week on to Christmas Island with 73 Christmas Island Sqd.

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campaign Summer 2020

Reader’s Story by Kenneth Bainger MBE

Operation Dominic Christmas Island 1961 to 1962 In 1961 I was a Warrant Officer employed as a Shop Foreman of the Electrical Department, Army Technical School, Chepstow.

I received a posting to Christmas Island in August 1961 to relieve a warrant officer who had completed his year on the island.

I travelled by civilian airline to New York, Los Angeles, and Hawaii, then

by RAF Transport Command Hastings to Christmas Island. The

for crayfish. Crayfish taste similar to lobster and look like a black round centre with many long tentacles coming from it. When you see one,

first thing I noticed when we landed was a rotting smell. After reporting to my officer, commanding 73 Squadron, Royal Engineers (Major) the warrant officer I was to relieve, Don Crawford, who has since passed away, introduced me to the rest of the squadron in their mess.

He then said, look in the large mirror, what do you see?

I said, “I am the only white man”.

Yes, they were all dark brown. Next, at night he took me cray fishing. I had no idea what I was in for. First, he said, “Here is your kit and wear army boots. The kit was a hurricane lamp, kit bag, and thick leather gauntlets”. I said, “Why army boots?” He said, among the coral are Moray eels who have sharp teeth.

When we arrived at the other end of the island there were Navy, Army and RAF sitting beside two 40-gallon oil drums full of saltwater boiling away - these were for cooking the crayfish. Apparently, there was a coral prong that side of the island.

Don told me to put the open kit bag over my left shoulder, with my right hand holding the lit hurricane lamp high and slowly walk forward looking

STOP, transfer the hurricane lamp to your left hand, then, very slowly lower your right hand over the crayfish within about 6 inches, pause, push down hard as you can onto the round black centre, grasp tightly (take no notice of the hungry, lively tentacles) and throw into your pre-arranged kit bag. Relax, and don’t move.

Then continue making sure you avoid any holes in the coral. If a baby shark comes near you, punch them with your gauntlet and keep in sight with each other. Don’t stray

too close to the edge. If you see any person close to the edge, shout a warning. On return to the fuel drums I cooked the crayfish and they were delicious.

The next day I was shown my responsibilities, that is, Port Camp Power Station, water and sewage system, boilers, lighting, heating, also main camp in mothballs, large fuel tanks, refrigeration, cold storage, electrics at the airport, battery charging and repair workshop. Don took me fishing where we came across white fish that moved vertically. When caught, you cut off either side, cook in a frying pan with coconut milk - melts in your mouth. After Don returned to England, I went shark fishing with the Royal Navy - caught a Tiger Shark, and shark fishing from the shore. I also caught a 6-foot long black tail tipped shark. Also, I posted a coconut to UK and it reached home!

Because of little to do, sports were encouraged. I had plenty of work to do - I watched a film and found it was interrupted on/off, and diagnosed palm branches growing between lines in the Gilbertese village, and vibration from the generator diesel engine. The sewage /foul water collection tank near the officer’s mess in Port Camp had

BNTVA STORIES

overflowed. Also, small domestic boilers weren’t working efficiently.

My sapper electricians cut back the foliage after getting permission to enter the village. In the power station I found vibration from the diesel engines was the problem.

I removed all electrics from the generators and installed them some distance from the generators.

Back to the sewage problem...

As other engineers had worked on the problem over the years, I assumed the fault was in the initial installation.

I stood there for about 2 hours thinking. Suddenly, there it was before my eyes - the NRV had been installed the wrong way round.

I corrected this and the problem was solved. The domestic boilers only needed flames adjusting.

To pass the time, I decided to go dinghy racing, fishing, water skiing and joined the Go Kart racing team.

Then, in early 1962, Operation Dominic was announced.

For my Sapper electricians and myself, all sport stopped. Our task was to take the main camp out of mothballs. We had to prepare the power station, sewage/water system, hospital, cookhouse, cinema, barracks accommodation, etc, ready for the USA military and American Nuclear Authority. We were assisted by some American civilian electricians. We worked 10 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Including lighting for extension of US Navy additional squadron aircraft parking at the airport.

Everything was ready on time.

I witnessed the detonation of 24 nuclear bombs.

After I arrived home in August 1962, I received a letter telling me I had been honoured with the MBE for my work on Christmas Island.

At the time of writing this story, I am isolated because of the coronavirus.

I am 95 years old.

by Kenneth Bainger MBE

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campaign Summer 2020

The Over the Fence Exhibition and the BNTVA Collection

Hello, I am Wesley Perriman, I am the new BNTVA Curator. Last year I set up the "Over the Fence..." exhibition at the Peace Museum 10th October-20th December, which was co-curated with Dr Becky Alexis-Martin.

Unfortunately, with the 2020 BNTVA conference being cancelled I could not tell you in person how successful the show was. We had 561 visitors in total. Though the number might not seem high please bear in mind the museum only opens 3 days a week for 6 hours a day and is situated on the 2nd oor of a building with no lift! But bearing all that in mind, there were still about 19 people a day visiting it. I have had many enquiries on whether there was going to be another exhibition and I was already looking at bringing the show to different venues but with the lockdown going on everything is put on hold.

some items relating to my father’s time in Maralinga. My father was Jim Perriman; he was billeted as a cook (RAF element) at Maralinga in 1963. He died in 1989 from Cancer when I was 6.

I think that it is important to understand how this exhibition came about. In 2019, I completed a Masters in Curation Practice at Leeds Arts University. As part of my research I wrote about and exhibited

Therefore, I offered my services to the BNTVA at the start of 2020 to help build the BNTVA collection which can be documented, preserved, and then loaned out to museums in order to tell your

After his death, I discovered various items relating to his time at Maralinga and spent years learning more about them and I have now shown his collection of objects and ephemera at various conferences and events. Through these events and via further explorations into existing museum collections, it has demonstrated the importance of preserving the social history of the tests.

stories to the next generation, and raise awareness.

Over the next few editions of the campaign magazine I will share some of the items in the collection.

BNTVA CURATOR

BNTVA Collection

Operation Hurricane 1952 Here are a few items from the BNTVA collection from Operation Hurricane, Britain’s first atomic test. The bomb was detonated on 3rd October 1952 inside the hold of HMS Plym which was moored in the Montebello Islands off the coast off the coast of Western Australia.

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HMS Campania HMS Plym Rear Admiral Arthur David Torlesse HMS Tracker (the hospital ship) Operation Hurricane tie Newspaper clipping showing the bomb

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campaign Summer 2020

Crossing The Line Also included within the Operation Hurricane collection is the "Crossing the Line" booklet from HMS Campania concerning its journey to the Montebello Islands.

As our Navy Veterans will testify, this was a right of passage for all who crossed the equator. As you see from the list of cast an addition was made to include a new fearsome breed of human - "The BofďŹ n!".

King Neptune: "Step forward wretch, and speedily explain what business you have in my domain." The Boffin Replied: “To do experiments in Atom fission."

BNTVA EVENTS

Events National Atomic Veterans Awareness Day 3 October 2020 We are awaiting confirmation from the staff at the National Memorial Arboretum, Alrewas, Staffordshire, concerning National Atomic Veterans Awareness Day on 3 October. They have recently returned from furlough and are assessing guidelines due to coronavirus. Unfortunately, we cannot say for certain if the event will take place but will inform members as soon as we know. Please contact on 0208 144 3080 for more details closer to the time.

The Last Post, The Don Memorial Museum & Veterans Hub Opening Cranworth St, Thornaby, 31 October-1 November, 2020 You may recall Shelly’s fundraising for the BNTVA at the Don Bar, Stockton-on-Tees, where there is a BNTVA memorial table. On 26 July, Shelly introduced John Lax, David Taunt, Wesley Perriman, and John and Ceri McDade to Julie Cooper, who has worked tirelessly to prepare new premises for opening on 31 October.

The Last Post is a Memorial Museum for the Armed Forces, and veterans in particular, remembering those who have died in service to their country.

It provides free Sunday lunches, Christmas dinners, tea and coffee, and courses for veterans. The new premises will also have some accommodation for homeless people.

We were fortunate to catch a glimpse of a new museum being created upstairs. The museum will hold a vast array of military objects, including a V-1 doodlebug and a Messerschmitt.

The BNTVA has been offered a space to display ephemera in the museum concerning the British nuclear tests, as well as being invited to give educational talks to the public about this forgotten part of history.

Please contact the BNTVA on 0208 144 3080 for further information.

The photograph shows David Taunt and John Lax, both BNTVA trustees, who met for the first time on the day of this visit for the first time since 1962, where they were stationed at Christmas Island for Operation Dominic.

From left to right: Ceri McDade, David Taunt, Shelly Grigg, John Lax and Wesley Perriman.

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campaign Summer 2020

Royal British Legion Garden of Remembrance Remembrance Day, November 2020 Due to COVID-19, there is 25% of last year’s allocation of tickets for the Garden of Remembrance on Thursday, November 8th. We are unsure as to whether the Cenotaph Parade is taking place at the moment. Ron is organising the event, and if you are interested in attending, please let him know on r.watson@bntva.com by post or call 0208 144 3080.

If you’d like to attend your local cenotaph on Remembrance Day, and would like to order a BNTVA wreath, they cost £18.50 from the Poppy Factory.

Contact details for ordering are RayBurrell@poppyfactory.org, 020 8940 3305.

BNTVA Conference 2021 Subject to government guidelines, we will hold Conference from 7-9 May 2021 in Stratford upon-Avon.

More information will follow in due course.

the next -

BNTVA APPEAL

Appeal Brian Cole, Christmas Island Veteran, 1957, is looking for attendees of the first meeting of British nuclear test veterans at the Central Hotel. Glasgow, in December, 1983. Brian has kindly sent photos of the newspaper cutting, his original BNTVA membership card and a letter from Ken McGinley.

The original newspaper advert says, “Would anyone who served at Maralinga, Christmas Island, and Monte Bello Island on the British nuclear test programmes in the 50’s, get in touch with me?

John Price, 43 Clarence Street, Primrose, Lancaster”.

If you attended the meeting, or have any information concerning this initial meeting, please get in touch at info@bntva.com

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campaign Summer 2020

BNTVA Board of Trustees Ceri McDade Chair/Editor chairman@bntva.com Ceri works ad hoc in health research, particularly in Quality Improvement and geriatrics. She is passionate about the patient-clinician relationship, a member of the Patient & Carer Network of the Royal College of Physicians, and Public & Patient Sounding Board for the Genomics Partnership of Wales. Ceri has worked as a Charity Fundraising Officer, a support worker for learning disabilities, mental health issues and complex needs work including specialist women’s refuge work. Her father, Michael Marsh was present at Operations Buffalo and Antler, Maralinga. Mike became Chief Technician - Electronic/Avionics in the RAF and passed away in 1999.

David Taunt Vice Chairman d.taunt@bntva.com As a child, David’s ambitions were to travel, see the world, and be a rally driver. He joined the Royal Navy straight from school, aged 15, in 1958 and trained to be a Mechanical Engineer (Stoker) specialising in large marine diesel engines. He arrived on Christmas Island in September 1961, and, in 1962, witnessed 31 thermo-nuclear bombs at Operation Dominic. After leaving the Royal Navy in 1970, David created the world-famous Silverstone Rally School, which he ran for 25 years until retirement.

John Lax Secretary j.lax@bntva.com John joined the Royal Air Force in 1960 as an Air Wireless Mechanic, servicing Varsity and Valetta aircraft. He was posted to RAF Christmas Island servicing Hastings aircraft, and took part in Operation Brigadoon /Dominic, where he witnessed the full suite of Nuclear Bomb tests in 1962.

John worked on Hastings, Beverlys, Vampires, Jet Provost 3 & 4, Chipmunks and Buccaneers. After leaving the RAF in 1975, John worked for electronics and aerospace companies, and serviced the Sultan of Oman’s Jaguar aircraft. He formed Pegasus 2000 Ltd in 1998, and was made a Freeman of the City of London in 2011. John’s father was in the Army and present at Grapple Z in 1959, so is both a veteran and a descendant.

BNTVA TRUSTEES

Ron Watson Treasurer r.watson@bntva.com Ron joined the Army as a boy soldier for the Royal Engineers aged 16, in 1954. He sailed to Christmas Island on New Year’s Eve, 1957, as a Sapper, and worked as a stevedore, and at the main airfield mixing cement.

After injuring his foot on the coral, Ron was given an office job, and taught himself to type, then passed typing exams. Ron worked for the Engineer in Chief in the War Office, Whitehall, until he left, aged 40. Since retirement, he organises golf tournaments in Sussex.

Wesley Perriman Curator/Editor w.perriman@bntva.com / curator@bntva.com As an Artist and Curator, Wesley has exhibited across the country.

In 2019 he co-curated the "Over the Fence" exhibition at the Peace Museum with Dr Becky Alexis-Martin. The exhibition contained many items belonging to the BNTVA along with items from Maralinga that had belonged to his father Jim Perriman. Jim served in the RAF as a cook for 18 years.

Doug Hern Historian d.hern@bntva.com Doug, a veteran of Christmas Island, and well-known name within the BNTVA, left the Royal Navy and worked as a signalman on the East Coast Main line, working his way up to cover a number of signal boxes. After this time and the demise of steam, Doug went into engineering, working at Perkins Engine manufacturer in Peterborough, and finished up skippering their test boat in the Wash, at Sutton Bridge.

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campaign Summer 2020

Shelly Grigg Fallout Descendants’ Group & BNTVA Shop Manager s.grigg@bntva.com Shelly is the daughter of Corporal Roy Grigg - a Christmas Island veteran.

Shelly was born in Hanover, Germany. After working for the NAAFI in Northern Ireland for 2 years, and Germany for 10 years, Shelly became the NAAFI Manager. She created and runs the Fallout Descendants’ Group on Facebook and manages the BNTVA Shop.

Andi Jones Montebello Representative a.jones@bntva.com Andi’s father, Gwynne, served on Operation Mosaic, on the HMS Diana at Montebello in 1956. Andi joined the Rotaract Club of Monmouth in his late twenties, becoming District Vice President and inaugural President of Yate and District Rotaract Club. He was a club level competitor and Marshall in motorsport, and now a rally safety radio operator and safety car driver.

David Bostwick Trustee d.bostwick@bntva.com David is an ex-chef turned lorry driver and a real petrolhead, who likes engineering and problem solving. David is the son of Ron Bostwick, who served as a Sapper on Christmas island in 57,58 and 59. David has attended the reunion at Sand Bay and the Remembrance Day parade in London on a few occasions.

John McDade Governance Officer (Non-Voting Trustee) j.mcdade@bntva.com John is married to Ceri, and father of three second generation descendants.

He has a wealth of experience in the charity sector, where he has worked all of his career. Currently, he works Finance Manager for a Carers’ charity in mid-Wales and for Age Cymru Powys. In his spare time, John is an avid philatelist and writes databases.

BNTVA COMPETITION

Competition Are you or a member of the British Nuclear Survivor Community you know in need of an electric wheelchair?

The NCCF are looking to gift a new Rascal Powered Wheelchair to a member of our community.

All you have to do is write to the editor of Campaign Magazine on editor@bntva.com and tell us how much difference a chair like this would make to your life. We will pick the most deserving application and the NCCF will arrange to have the chair delivered.

Due to the high shipping costs the offer is only open to community members resident on the UK Mainland.

As with all assistance from the NCCF the beneficiaries remain anonymous unless they wish to share their story.

The Rascal P327 XL is a heavy-duty 4 mph Mid-Wheel Drive outdoor/indoor powerchair, with durable full suspension and comfortable cushioned Captain’s seat mounted on a larger base. The P327 XL delivers great performance with its 55Ah batteries contributing to its excellent range, outstanding manoeuvrability and a smooth ride.

Main features: •

Flip-up fully adjustable armrests

•

Full suspension

•

Swing-away joystick

•

Convenient joystick charging port

•

Adjustable Captain’s seat

•

Flip-up footplate

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campaign Summer 2020

DNA Genetic Testing Kits A new leaflet from Brunel Centre for Health Effects of Radiological and Chemical Agents (CHRC) Advisory Board.

DNA genetic testing kits The rapid development of DNA sequencing technologies which deliver fast, accurate and a昀ordable DNA sequence information has made genetic testing much more accessible for individuals than ever thought possible.

DNA genetic testing kits Table 1: Commercially-available DNA test kits

Name

This information sheet seeks to summarise what you as individuals can learn from commercially-available DNA kits. We also summarise the ongoing CHRC study analysing populations of family trios using whole genome sequence technology.

Price

Timescale

£79-£149

3-5 weeks

Ancestry & traits service and Health & ancestry service.

Health & health service provides information on genetic health risksi, variants associated with developing certain health conditions and, your carrier status for inherited conditions.

Easy DNA All-In-One Health Testing Package (Cheek Swab)

£259

~4 weeks

Provides information on ancestry, health (genetic susceptibility to diseasesii), skin care, sports, personality & traits, and nutrition.

CRI Genetics (Cheek Swab)

$99 (£77.99)$199 (£156.67

6-8 weeks

Provides information on ancestry, health, allergy, nutrition, vitamin and traits.

AncestryDNA (Saliva Test)

£79 +shipping

6-8 weeks

Provides information on genetic ethnicity and family history.

DNA Lifestyle (Saliva Test)

£99-£249.99

2-3 weeks

Provides information on 29 nutrition related reports, 14 昀tness related reports and 142 health related reports.

Health reports include, chances of high blood pressure, alcohol addiction, type 1 diabetes, hair loss and low testosterone.

LivingDNA (Mouth Swab)

£49-£179 +shipping

6-8 weeks

Provides information on ancestry, 昀tness and nutrition.

Aiding in understanding how genetics interacts with lifestyle choices.

Dante Labs 30X Whole Genome Sequencing Premium Test (Saliva Test)

$599 (£462.70)

2-8 weeks

Provides information on health (predisposition to >100 common diseases), reaction to medication, full access to your genomic dataiii, rare disease report, nutrition and scienti昀c 昀tness.

DNA genetic test kits Commercially available DNA test kits, such as 23andme Inc., use a DNA sample from a customer to determine, in part, their genetic code (DNA sequence) and look for various DNA markers. These markers are speci昀c to the information the DNA genetic test is testing for. For example, there are di昀erent markers for ancestral origin and for particular medical conditions. Table 1 details some of the commercially available tests and what they are testing for.

Where can I 昀nd DNA test kits?

DNA tests are commercially available through online websites (see Table 1). Companies will send out packs with an explanation for providing a sample. Your DNA is then isolated from the sample you have sent in (cheek swab or saliva/spit sample) and elements of the DNA sequence determined. The results are analysed and a report is sent back to you.

What do they test for?

DNA test kit services can provide information on your individual health and/or ancestry. They can inform on health risks for developing certain conditions and the potential for heritable traits to be passed on to your children.

Most DNA test kit results will provide a risk estimate for developing a condition. There is no certainty that an identi昀ed health issue will happen. A risk estimate provides information on the likelihood you will get a health condition compared to the average population. For example, if you have an increase in 3% risk of a speci昀ed health e昀ect, and the current population has a 2% risk, your personal risk is 5%. Which means you have a 1 in 20 chance of developing the condition, but you are far more likely to be in the 95% of people (who have the same risk) who do not get this health condition.

The information from these tests do not account for other non-inherited factors, such as smoking or unhealthy eating, which can also change your risk of getting certain health conditions.

What are the risks in using a commercially available DNA test kit?

The information provided to you may be mis-leading and could potentially cause needless worry.

For this reason, genetic testing which seeks to understand heritable risks is only advisable when accompanied by a genetic counsellor.

The information you receive may be meaningless with respect to particular questions of interest. For instance, the results you receive will only relate to the DNA you inherited and your health risks for speci昀ed conditions. The results will not provide information on the cause of any mutations.

CHRC Information Sheet

What do they show?

23andMe (Saliva Test)

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E.g. BRCA1/BRCA2, Celiac Disease, Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) De昀ciency, MUTYH-Associated Polyposis, Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease.

E.g. Glioma, Osteosarcoma, Type1/2 Diabetes, Schizophrenia, Multiple Sclerosis and Coronary Heart Disease.

Genomic Data is the raw data from sequencing an individual’s genome completely or partially. Genomic Data received from DNA tests, can be utilised by clinicians in diagnosis of patients who are at higher risk of genetic errors resulting in diseases.

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iii

CHRC Information Sheet

DNA genetic testing kits DNA sequencing for the CHRC Genetic and Cytogenetic Study How does it di昀er to DNA test kits?

We are using Next Generation Sequencing techniques to determine the DNA sequence of the entire genome for each member of a family trio (father, mother, biological child). We are doing this for 30 nuclear test veteran families (test population) and 30 veteran families (control population) with no known participation at test sites.

For more information visit

We are then comparing the genomes from the two di昀erent populations to detect any di昀erences or ‘variants’ between them. These di昀erences might be single nucleotide variants (SNVs), variants that are short insertions or deletions (indels), or larger structural DNA variants (SVs), such as gene copy number variants (CNVs).

De novo (newly arising) DNA mutations New DNA mutations contribute to the natural process of DNA variation and arise as a result of DNA damage. DNA damage occurs naturally throughout life and is usually corrected very e ciently by DNA repair processes. However, when damaged DNA is not correctly repaired then errors called mutations accumulate within the genome. An excess of DNA mutations can occur when a cell’s response to DNA damage is compromised or overworked, and when a cell is exposed to chemical mutagens or ionising radiation.

A new DNA mutation that arises in a germ cell (egg or sperm) of one of the parents and which is then transmitted to the child or children, or in a fertilized egg cell itself, is called a de novo or newly arising mutation (DNM). Newly arising mutations may or may not be associated with a particular health condition in the child.

In our study we are looking for DNMs that may have arisen in the germline of British nuclear test veterans as a consequence of veterans participating at nuclear bomb test sites. DNMs are DNA variants which are present in the child but not in either of the parents’ own (somatic cell) genomes.

Although DNMs induced by ionising radiation may themselves be largely indistinguishable from naturally occurring DNMs, we can look for deviations in the expected number and pattern of DNMs because we are comparing our data to the control family population.

Previous work has shown that DNMs arising from exposure to radiation may include more clustered SNVs and more CNVs, and that more DNA mutations may also occur at highly mutable repeat regions compared to the general population.

Website: www.chrc4veterans.uk Email: CHRC@brunel.ac.uk

Will this study answer health questions?

Our study has been designed to seek out evidence for genetic damage caused by historical participation at test sites. Having a higher level of genetic damage is thought to increase the risk of developing some medical conditions, but this outcome is fortunately not an absolute.

If we were to 昀nd evidence of radiation-related genetic damage in the population of NTVs or in their families, we could not conclude that this was the cause of the range of reported ill health issues.

Instead, this 昀nding would direct research where the meaning for health may be explored in much greater detail.

CHRC Information Sheet

CHRC Information Sheet

BNTVA PUZZLE PAGE

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Puzzle Page 1

Across 7. Site of Grapple bombs 8. Place of thunder

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9. The test series at Emu Claypan, 1953 10. The Vickers V Bomber

Down

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1. The Hurricane Islands 2. This ship sailed through the fallout in 1956

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3. The British name for Dominic 4. Minor trials A+B ended in 1963

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5. This ship attended all the British tests on islands 6. The new name for Christmas 8

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Wordsearch B R I

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F F O B Y V

I

A D O O N B L E M

U Y K P G M O S

A

A N R O I

C W N BRIGADOON

EMUFIELD

MONTEBELLO

RADIATION

NAVY

HURRICANE

DOMINIC

CORAL

C L A R O C O Q D N E D E

PLYM

ARMY

A T N T C K U F A E L

DNA

MOSAIC

PENNEY

AWRE

RAF

BOFFIN

NUCLEAR

MARALINGA

TNT

GRAPPLE

ISOTOPE

VALIANT

NARVIK

TOTEM

R M

I L T

I

A F X P Z A T

R X V Y V

N U C L E A R E

I

I

A R M Y

F C

N J M E T O T E M U F A G

N

I

C N T A B I

L

A Y P A L

I E L D R R P T O

I L A R A M Q A

T A N K V

S

E P O T O S

I

F

A N D U R O U I

K B M

G N C

SAND

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exposure Summer 2020

Ways to pay your annual BNTVA membership subscription Set out below are the methods you can use to pay your membership subscription, due 1st of April each year.

You can pay your BNTVA membership in the following ways:

Cheque Payment Make cheque payable to BNTVA, write your 4 digit membership number on the rear of the cheque and return to: BNTVA, The Smithy, Defynnog, Brecon, Powys LD3 8SB

Direct Debit - ask us for a form!

Email info@bntva.com or call 0208 144 3080

Direct Payment Direct payment to BNTVA reference ‘BNTVA Membership’ Sort code: 40-47-31 Account no: 94821238

Join the BNTVA To join the BNTVA, contact us for a membership application form which contains all the details on paying your membership, or phone 0208 144 3080.

Which membership type is for you?

UK Single Member Electronic

£20

UK Single Member Postal

£25

UK Family Electronic (partner & dependent children under 18 yrs)

£30

UK Family Postal (partner & dependent children under 18 yrs)

£35

Overseas Single Member Electronic

£20

Overseas Single Member Postal

£35

Overseas Family Electronic (partner & dependent children under 18 yrs)

£30

Overseas Family Postal (partner & dependent children under 18 yrs)

£45

IMPORTANT If you have been paying by Standing Order YOU MUST CANCEL with your bank. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE STANDING ORDER. If you have been paying by PayPal please cancel your payment and use the online payment instead.

CWI Fund Making lives better

The Care Wellbeing and Inclusion Fund Making lives better The NCCF want to reach out to the British Nuclear Community to let them and their carers know, that we are here and ready to help with independent living adaptations, respite care and innovative measures to improve wellbeing.

Where a person is unable to fund the addressing of their suffering then assistance from the NCCF is wholly in line with our charitable purpose.

This concept has not changed since day one of the fund disbursements.

Wetrooms, Stairlifts, Mobility Scooters, Rise Recliner Chairs, Profiling Beds, Orthopaedic Mattress, Domestic Adaptations and Respite Care Breaks are just some of the types of thing we can provide to alleviate suffering.

All news and information relating to the Care, Wellbeing and Inclusion Fund can be found at our official news outlet: exposure.press

From the outset, the NCCF has been clear that unlike the majority of ex-service organisations it does not have a set level of wealth or income over which it stops providing assistance.

That is what we define as ‘means testing’.

The check we perform is one of ability to address suffering. When suffering is identified the measures to alleviate that suffering are costed, if the individual can easily fund the measures then they have the means to address their own problems, helping them would not be within our charitable purpose.

Make your application today: On-line: https://bhlink.at/CWIFund email: office@thenccf.org Telephone: 0115 8883442 Or write to: NCCF PO Box 8244 Castle Donington DE74 2BY

30

campaign Summer 2020

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

PLEASE NOTE! Our contact details have changed...

By Post

By Telephone

BNTVA

0208 144 3080

The Smithy Defynnog

Website

Brecon

www.bntva.com

Powys LD3 8SB

By Email info@bntva.com

Campaign magazine is published by the BNTVA Editors Wesley Perriman & Ceri McDade Next issue copy deadline 15 November 2020.

Please send material to info@bntva.com before this date. Thank you.

All contributions for the magazine should be sent to: Editor BNTVA The Smithy Defynnog Brecon Powys LD3 8SB or emailed to info@bntva.com

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 – © Copyright of owner acknowledged.

Campaign cannot guarantee total accuracy for any reproduction of letters / articles / transcripts. BNTVA is a Registered Charity Reg. No 1173575 supporting past and present UK Nuclear Test Combined Service Veterans and their families.

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