"Three, Two, one, detonation..." a Royal Navy nuclear test veteran remembers (224)

Feb 26, 2022

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The British Nuclear Test Veterans Association (BNTVA) is the Charity for UK Nuclear Veterans and last year they very kindly invited me to the annual conference. I met many veterans including Peter Lambourne and this is his story.

Peter joined the Royal Navy aged 15. He describes those early days including serving on HMS Wizard during the Cod War with Iceland in 1961.

In 1962 Peter was then posted to HMS Resolution which was the codename for the nuclear bomb testing base on Christmas Island.

Peter’s base was less than 20 miles away from where hydrogen bombs were being detonated and he shares his experiences of those detonations.

Many servicemen and islanders who were present at Christmas Island from 1957 to 1962 later reported severe health problems, which they attributed to the nuclear bomb tests – from cancers to organ failure. Whilst Peter’s health has appeared unaffected, his children and grandchildren have suffered from cancers.

In 2023 the UK finally awarded a medal to the nuclear test veterans.

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0:00 Introduction and Peter Lambourne's background

1:06 Peter's posting to HMS Resolution and nuclear bomb testing on Christmas Island

2:29 Call for podcast support and donations

3:33 Peter's experience in the Cod War with Iceland and posting to Christmas Island

12:10 Witnessing hydrogen bomb detonations on Christmas Island

17:06 The terrifying contingency plans and impracticality of their landing crafts

21:01 Lack of protective clothing and radiation tracking

24:33 Recreational activities and dynamics of the Navy group on Christmas Island

29:47 The mystery of the "big black line" in Peter's service record and the classified nature of the mission

34:05 The health effects of radiation exposure and the government's avoidance of liability

38:09 Reflections on Christmas Island as part of Peter's naval career

42:57 Closing remarks and thanks to patrons

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The British Nuclear Test Veterans Association (BNTVA) is the Charity for UK Nuclear Veterans https://www.bntva.com/

There’s further information including videos and photos on this episode here. https://coldwarconversations.com/episode224

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