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Atom bomb veterans set for new fight
HOPEFUL ... atom bomb test veteran John Taylor, below, and with former colleagues in Maralinga, Australia, back in the 1950s.
A COURT battle for justice starts tomorrow for atom bomb test veterans in South Tyneside.
The Supreme Court in London will decide if men who say their health was affected by nuclear tests in the 1950s can claim for damages.
There are claims the men were treated like “guinea pigs” and later suffered a range of health problems, from cancer to skin defects and infertility.
It is also claimed some of the veterans have passed on health problems to their families.
But the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is challenging the veterans’ claims and their right to compensation.
Although acknowledging what it calls a “debt of gratitude” to more than 1,000 A-bomb test veterans across the UK, the MoD denies negligence.
Test veteran John Taylor, of Carnegie Close, Biddick Hall, South Shields, remains “hopeful” that the court will rule in their favour.
Mr Taylor, 74, a RAF leading aircraftman in Maralinga, Australia, when he witnessed a nuclear test in 1957, said: “We don’t know which way the Supreme Court will go on this, and there is always the risk they will reject our case.
“But if it goes well, we could get the green light to pursue compensation.
“The case is due to start on Monday and last about four days.”
Many veterans received little or no protection when they watched British nuclear tests in the Pacific and elsewhere.
In July, three Supreme Court justices in London said veterans could appeal against an earlier decision to block damages claims.
Mr Taylor added: “We just hope our appeal goes through and we can take this case a stage further.
“But we have also been told that it could be Christmas or the new year before we have a judgement from the Supreme Court.”
Nuclear test veterans Bede McGurk, from Jarrow, and Hebburn man Bob Redman are also pursuing justice.
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Weather for Jarrow
Wednesday 23 May 2012
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Comments
There are 2 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
Frank E Naylor
Monday, November 14, 2011 at 07:36 PMBest of luck with your claim ,I was also at Maralinga 1957 and Christmas Island 1958 and saw 7 bombs altogether may be I was one of the Lucky ones only problem I had was about 4 years battling stomach Ulcers from the early sixties now 73 and still going strong. Frank Naylor "A real Name" Ex Balloon Unit RAF.
Heinrich Scrotwengler von Grossteschattenburg
Sunday, November 13, 2011 at 03:39 PMI am sorry to say that as the plaintiffs are neither foreign born filth nor professional criminals nor both, their chances of being awarded justice are exceeding slim. This 'government' would rather sprinkle billions over Africa than compensate those who fought for Britain. The three 'main' parties are quite disgusting, as is UKIP(while they steal). I wish the veterans well and I am sorry and ashamed of political chicanery. Britain is well on the way to becoming a third world hellhole.
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