Call for inquiry from South Shields nuclear veteran who had 'no protection' from atom bomb trials

Kris Jepson spoke to Jack Taylor who is calling for a public inquiry into Cold War nuclear testing in Australia in 1957

A veteran from South Tyneside has called on the government to hold a public inquiry into allegations of a cover-up which withheld thousands of medical records from former service personnel who attended nuclear testing 70 years ago.

John Taylor, who is 87 and known as 'Jack', was only in his early twenties when he was deployed to Australia in 1957 to work at an airbase. Little did he know, he would witness three atom bomb explosions as part of Cold War nuclear trials later that year.

Jack, who lives in South Shields, said he lived in a two man tent during the operation and when the day of the first bomb test finally came, he had "no protection" from radiation or contamination.

He told ITV News Tyne Tees: "We had to stand with our backs to the explosion for the initial blast, because it could blind you if you saw that.

"Then you could turn around and see the mushroom cloud go up, and then you got the heat blast, which was tremendous.

"I can only describe it as like standing against an oven and somebody opening the oven door and you get the heat blast out.

"I had no protection. Just shorts, shoes, sandals or whatever, and not even a shirt.

When he returned to the UK, his back and parts of his chest were covered in a rash. He has had various medical issues over his lifetime, but said he has "no idea" if they are related to contamination as he was "never given a medical".

He added: "I mean in hindsight, when you think about Chernobyl and that, places like that which were contaminated, how do I know that where we were wasn’t contaminated?

"In terms of medicals, if you like, we never had one. Not either going or coming home.

"The geiger counters we had, nobody ever checked them. Nobody ever cAme up and said ‘I’ll give you factor seven or something to put on your back, you know, not even that."

Many of his peers had blood tests during the trials, which they claim have been withheld by government after government and Jack has been campaigning with them for a public inquiry ever since.

His local MP, Emma Lewell-Buck, raised the issue at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday 24 July, when she said: "These national heroes deserve full accountability and justice. Will he therefore consider supporting a special tribunal with statutory powers on this 70-year-long scandal?"

Sir Keir Starmer responded: "It is right that, I think, nearly 5,000 have now got their nuclear test medals in recognition of their service and that the veterans have the right to apply for no-fault compensation under the war pension scheme.

"I will ensure that a meeting on this issue is arranged for her with the relevant minister."

The South Shields politician told ITV News: "They’ve (the nuclear veterans) had rare cancers, tumours. Some of their children have, you know, it’s being passed down through the generations, and they just want to know the truth, I mean people are fed up, aren’t they, of state and institutional cover ups. People just need to know the truth."

The UK is the last nuclear power to insist its weapons tests caused no harm. The US, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, China and France all compensate their veterans.

Jack received his service medal in 2023, but he said it is not about the medal or the compensation, but fighting for justice for his fellow nuclear veterans.

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