UK conducted twelve atomic bomb tests between 1952 and 1963 in different places in Australia (Source) (VIDEO)
http://www.theherald.com.au/story/1317774/video-victims-of-atomic-tests-want-justice/?cs=12
In his log book for October 3, 1952, former HMAS Murchison chief
petty officer John Quinn noted the following: ‘‘Atomic bomb exploded on
HMS Plym.’’
The log book recorded the facts of the first of 12
British atomic tests in Australia in the 1950s, but this week Mr Quinn,
86, of Shoal Bay, recounted the emotion of that day on an Australian
frigate in the waters of Monte Bello.
‘‘I was off watch at the
time, and I went on the upper deck with a couple of national servicemen I
didn’t really know very well,’’ Mr Quinn said.
‘‘We were 27kilometres away. For years people have been telling us that
outside the 10-kilometre zone you weren’t affected, but within a few
seconds of that bomb going off me and my two mates were rolling on the
upper deck from the wind blast.
Mr Quinn is one of 295 nuclear veterans and Australian Navy retirees
who took their case for justice to the Australian Human Rights
Commission yesterday after years of campaigning.
The 295
survivors of 15,000 Australians who took part in tests and experiments
over 11 years claim the Australian government of Prime Minister Robert
Menzies breached three articles of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, which Australia signed in 1948..........
We were human guinea pigs,’’ Mr Quinn said.
He has suffered repeated and sometimes severe health problems for much of his adult life.
Human
rights lawyer Joshua Dale, of Stacks Goudkamp in Sydney, said nuclear
veterans suffered high death rates, higher cancer rates and worse health
problems than the general population.
The appeal was the last roll of the dice after unsuccessful court cases,
and a £20million compensation payment to the Australian government from
Britain, which was not distributed to veterans, Mr Quinn said.
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