In light of recent news coverage, our MA student, Hannah Grimshaw, reflects on her grandfather’s experiences of atomic testing on Christmas Island.

Operation Grapple was a series of nine British hydrogen and atomic bomb tests that took place on Christmas Island over 1957 and 1958. Veterans there during the tests have only recently received any form of recognition for their services. It was only announced in 2022 (over 60 years after the initial tests) that the government would release the ability to award medals to nuclear test veterans. Prior to this, there had been no official government recognition or compensation for those who were on Christmas Island acting as witness to Britain’s bombs.

My grandfather, Brian Arthurs, who served with the 59th regiment of the Royal Engineers as part of his National Service, was sent to Christmas Island to help in the construction of the runway. Little did he know that he would witness two of Britain’s atomic bomb tests during his time there. 

I grew up hearing my grandad’s stories about his time on Christmas Island and the horrors he experienced. I vividly remember him telling the story of how when the bomb went off, he could see the bones in his hands like an X-ray. He, and the many other men there who experienced this, were provided with no protection. They were merely told one day to gather, sit down in a row with their backs to where the blast would occur, look down, and cover their eyes with their hands. My grandad recalls the blast wave that flattened everything and said he witnessed black rain in the aftermath of the blast.

Today, there is considerable understanding of the medical effects that exposure to nuclear radiation can cause. The lack of protection provided to those in service at Christmas Island meant that they were left to deal with the consequences it had on their lives independently. Many veterans, my grandad included, suffered with cancers as they aged. My grandparents struggled to conceive for many years and were only able to have one child. There have been many stories shared among the families and descendants of the test veterans that cover the various illnesses and conditions that have been passed to them, possibly as a result of the radiation exposure. My family and I are lucky that we have not been greatly affected like many others have.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has even released statements saying that the ill health that many veterans suffered had never been proven to be linked to the radiation they were exposed to. In the early 2000s, a claim was made by veterans against the UK Government about the link between the radiation and health conditions; the MOD denied it. To this day, veterans are still asking that the MOD release medical documents and accept the health consequences that have been suffered. My grandad personally composed a letter to the Ministry of Defence in 1988 and the response he received was less than adequate. They agreed that he was not issued with protective clothing, but claimed that at the distance he was stationed, ‘he would not have been exposed to a significant amount of ionising radiation’. The evidence today however would rightly show that he was exposed to more than enough radiation to result in consequences to his health.

More compensation should be provided for the long-term effects these nuclear tests have had on veterans and their families, especially as most of them did not even know they would witness atomic bombs when they entered service. Over the past couple of years, many documentaries and stories have been shared by veterans and their relatives to expose the true reality of those in service on Christmas Island and other test locations. I wrote this blog not only to share my grandad’s own story, but to raise awareness for the hundreds of people awaiting proper compensation. My grandad, like many others, did not want a medal for his experience. Veterans wanted, and still want, more for what they suffered.

---

Further Reading

A British Guide to the End of the World, dir. Daniel Vernon (UK, BBC, 2019), [documentary].

Britain’s Nuclear Bomb Scandal: Our Story, dir. Simon Rawles (UK, BBC, 2024), [documentary].

Boniface, S., Exposed: The Secret History of Britain’s Nuclear Experiments (Yorkshire, 2024).

LABRATS: Legacy of the Atomic Bomb, Recognition for Atomic Test Survivors

Nally, C., ‘Radiation a ‘hidden bullet’ says testing veteran’, BBC (18 September 2025)

‘Nuclear Test Veterans Research Briefing’, UK Parliament House of Commons Library (27 November 2023)

Robinson, D., Just Testing (London, 1985).

There is also a Facebook group: ‘Christmas Island Nuclear Test Veterans, Family, Friends and Supporters’. The group was created for the family and friends of the veterans to share their experiences and relatives’ stories and struggles.