Gov Petition – British Atomic Test Medal – Please please show your support!

A commemorative Medal exists, At a cost of £45 but is not an official decoration and as such is not recognised.
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Pogno, I completely and wholeheartlkdley respect your fathers service but his loss of hearing did not effect his children and his children’s children, imagine if you yourself were still suffering from your fathers service and your children and even grandchildren were suffering ill health and abnormalities. Many of these vets have been advised that the genetic effects from their exposure will stay in their families for generations. The medal is the tip of the ice berg but it’s a good start, just because your father doesn’t feel the need for a medal others may well fell differently? Personally I feel anyone who has served their country should be given a medal! I have not served my country but I appreciate those that have and continue to do so.

Relatively speaking the sums of money they would be talking for pensions is absolutely tiny -it isnt something that needs delay if there is a will to do it

redhillwings and Ant.H, Well said.

Signed!

As others above have said, it’s not the medal itself that is important but the recognition that it brings. This in turn can hopefully be used to lever compensation and pensions etc from the UK government, which are long overdue. The situation as it stands is absolute madness, veterans in Aus and NZ have already been recognised and it’s just slack and neglectful of the UK gov not to have done the same.

Personally I do not favour the issuing of medals for certain events. My father, now in his late 90’s, served in the RAF in India and Singapore and all his subsequent life he has been influenced by the deafness he suffers from following an ear infection he had while in Singapore, he gets a small pension for that.
He isn’t asking for a medal or any other form of extra recognition, he just did his bit like many many others. Why pick out specific actions for special recognition.

Richard

Hi Agent K, Yes I believe many vets have been campaigning for some years now for a medal which is symbolic of their services being recognised, the same was the case with the Suez Crisis medal a few years ago. The fact New Zealand and Australia have already done it for their vets rubs salt in the wounds for our vets, all these medals for other nations were approved by the Queen yet our own vets go largely unrecognised. There are now only 1500 or so vets left out of the 22,000 which to me says a lot, it seems a very low survival rate to me. The new documents recently released demonstrate unquestionably that the MoD were aware of the risks to our air crews and many were massively overdosed and rapidly posted.

Is there really an overwhelming wish for a medal? Not something I’d imagine but happy to be corrected. Personally I’d hope these people got the pensions and care they deserve as a result of their service as opposed to a piece of metal.

Thank you to all of you who have signed so far. Keep it coming and please share on social media if you can.

There is new evidence released which unquestionably demonstrates that aircrew were knowingly put at risk. One of the links shows these documents. My uncle was an engine mechanic with 542 squadron at RAAF Laverton during Operation Grapple, he got the job of working on the engines after the sampling sorties. 542 took there gas samples through the engines collecting the gases in a large container in the bomb bay. If other countries can deal with it why can’t the British Government do the descent thing?

A friend witnessed two tests -he left the Royal Navy just prior to pensions coming in circa early 1970’s . Personally I think they should get pensions instead.

Signed.
The way succesive Goverments have treated these service veterans is appaling.
It was well known after studys at Hiroshima and Nagasaki the threat posed by radiation induced illness.
At least the Americans owned up to using there personell as Guinea Pigs and paid compensation and Pensions, And also Medical Care.
The uk has kicked it all in to the Long Grass allowing the Veterans and there affected Familys to Die off.
This Country should hang its head in shame, Its still not too late to do the right thing for those affected remaining.