At the National Service of Remembrance, in November 2023, there were veterans marching who were wearing, for the first time, The Nuclear Test Medal.
Indeed, David Dimbleby was to make specific reference to the medal during his commentary on the BBC’s broadcast from Whitehall.
For many decades, the veterans that had taken part in the UK’s Nuclear Test Programme were not formally recognised, despite tireless campaigning to acknowledge their service and sacrifice. This was to finally change in November 2022 when former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a commemorative medal to honour the service of those UK Service and civilian personnel, as well as individuals from other nations, who participated in the Programme.
About 22,000 are believed to have taken part, between 1952 and 1967 and little did we know that one of our brethren had a connection with these events.
Nevil is pictured (left) receiving the medal from Raymond Diamond (photo courtesy of Howard Barnett).
W Bro. Nevil Tolkin enlisted into the RAF in 1954 and told us of his initial basic training and going into Ground Wireless Communications. Transferring to Cyprus at the time when the EOKA (Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston) under Archbishop Makarios IlI, was at its height and following postings to Libya, he was sent to Farnborough to learn about Instrument Landing Systems (LS). Life was then to change forever.
As Nevil explains, “I put in for a posting, to Air Sea Rescue in Cornwall. My reasoning was it was a different uniform; great for pulling the girls. Sadly, they didn’t want me. I then got the shock of my life; I was posted to Christmas Island in the Pacific. Kiritimati as it is now called is part of the republic of Kiribati in the Gilbert & Ellis Islands/Line Islands.”
“I realised that Christmas Island was where Atom and Hydrogen bombs were to be exploded. Atom bombs, hydrogen bombs, I have seen them both very scary. The first Atom bomb I saw explode was from a trio of balloons at 10,000 feet, we were lined up and transported to the observation area. To look at us on the coral foreshore of the observation area, half an hour before the explosion, no one would have thought that anything important was about to happen.”
“There was almost a picnic atmosphere about the place: groups were drinking lemonade and eating sandwiches while others were playing cards. An Army barber had calmly rigged up a packing case seat for his customers and was doing a brisk business!”
“At Zero minus 10 we were all told to turn away from the impending explosion and conversation gradually died. As the final seconds ticked away no one spoke and there was silence apart from the noise of the breakers swirling on the reef and the cry of a frigate bird circling above.”
“5-4-3-2-1…
Flash….About Turn…. we felt a momentary touch of heat on our backs and turned round to look at the scene. In the distance a bloodshot glow illuminated the horizon where we had last seen the balloons: as it slowly faded away, a surge of cloud forged out on either side, like an enormous tidal wave. Then for a few seconds nothing seemed to happen, and people began to wonder about the mushroom we had all heard so much about. Suddenly everyone pointed at once above an obscuring bank of cumulus, lit by the afternoon sun, crept the roseate head of the nuclear cloud. It climbed and towered and then boiled over to form the now familiar mushroom boss.“
“The first Hydrogen bomb was a different matter altogether. We were awakened at 02.00 hrs, had tea and toast in the mess and then were taken down to the port. We were to be evacuated from the island, whilst a Valiant aircraft was loaded with the bomb and then take off from our island. This was to protect us in the event of the aircraft crashing or blowing up on take-off!”
“At 08.30 hrs we were put onto landing craft, like thoseused in the D-Day landings. All boarded, we set out to sea as a precaution. Ridiculous really, if the Valiant aircraft had crashed on take-off, there would have been an almighty explosion, tsunami would have occurred, and we would all have drowned. As it was, everything was o.k. and we returned to shore.”
“After our return to the island following the safe take-off, the bomber did two dummy runs over the target and on the third run we were told to sit down and turn away from the blast. If we woreglasses, we were to take them off and cover our eyes with the palms of our hands. Suddenly there was a flash and no exaggeration, we could see all the bones in our hands like an X-ray – then came the heat. It was like standing in front of a furnace when somebody opens the door and then closes it. After came the explosion, if you happened to stand up, it would knock you back down. We were told to turn around and saw the mushroom. It was amazing, something never to be forgotten.
“I missed the second H bomb; I decided that a rest in hospital was preferable. To see what devastation this nuclear device caused, it was truly indescribable.”
The Lodge of Dawn is very proud of Nevil. You can also read Nevil’s ‘memories of a Past Master‘.
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