More than 100 nuclear test veterans have been honoured by local dignitaries in Somerset this week in a special ceremony to recognise their service.
In Weston Super Mare, the servicemen were officially recognised with their Nuclear Test Medal by the Mayor of Weston and Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Somerset.
The event was organised by LABRATS International who have represented millions across the world exposed to fallout from the testing programs.
In the 1950s and 60s, 22,000 British servicemen participated in nuclear tests and clean-ups.
The servicemen were officially recognised with their Nuclear Test Medal by the Mayor of Weston and Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Somerset
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Founder of LABRATS, Alan Owen says “it’s so important to them”.
He told GB News: “They haven’t been thanked for their service because their medal came in the post in a jiffy bag.
“So, to organise this, for them to be thanked for their service, and to be recognised, is so important to them.
“The average age of our veterans is now 87 and 88 years old, they need this recognition, and they need to be thanked for what they did because what they did was incredible.
“My father could not be here to receive his medal, so my sister and I did it on his behalf.
“It’s just fantastic to say what they did mattered and what they did for their country has been recognised.”
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Founder of LABRATS, Alan Owen
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Operation Grapple saw nine British nuclear weapons tests carried out close to Christmas Island in the Pacific Ocean, between 1957 and 1958.
Terry Broomhall was in the Royal Engineers at the time and says they weren’t told of the dangers of the H-bomb test.
He said: “We weren't aware because we weren't issued with any protective clothing, we just put our little jackets on and we had to sit with our backs to where it was going off, with our hands over our eyes.
“When it went off our backs burnt, it felt like you were going to catch fire and then we could see all the bones in our hands because of the light shining through.
“After a little while, we were told we could turn around and look at the bomb and it was like a big ball coming out of the sea.”
Terry Broomhall said he wasn't aware of the dangers because he wasn't issued with any protective clothing
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Brian Unthank said the aftermath of the testing was like 'invisible bullets being fired at us through illnesses'
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Brian Unthank was also at Christmas Island and another witness to the test. He was part of the RAF Catering Squadron.
The tests have had a profound effect on his life, and he told GB News just some of the ways he’s been affected.
He said: “We started to have illnesses and a couple of months after I left Christmas Island I lost all my teeth at the age of 20.
“I then met a girl and got married in 1960, in the first few years of our married life she had multiple dangerous miscarriages.
“I had three sons; the third son had a double hole in his heart, and I’ve since had 93 skin cancers removed.
“They didn’t tell us about the irradiated air we were eating, drinking irradiated water, eating irradiated fish, walking barefoot on irradiated sand. Their thoughts were ‘you were safe’.
“They weren’t telling us about all of the invisible bullets being fired at us through illnesses.”