Christmas Island Nuclear Tests Veterans

The devastating atomic history of christmas island.

Christmas island nuclear tests veterans. Around 28 000 service veterans were involved in 21 atmospheric nuclear tests carried out by britain in australia and at malden island and christmas island between 1952 and 1958. In 1979 the gilbert islands phoenix islands and line islands which included christmas island and malden island became independent of the united kingdom as the republic of kiribati. Despite paying out to derek the government says there is no proven link to increased levels of cancer in nuclear test veterans. Twenty four nuclear bombs were detonated near christmas island as part of this test series.

The british nuclear weapon tests on kiritimati island had profound and lasting cultural consequences for both atomic veterans and local. The raf serviceman was one of around 22 000 british service personnel who witnessed nuclear weapons tests on mainland australia the montebello islands off western australia and christmas island. The us which carried out nuclear tests alongside british forces on christmas island and elsewhere has set aside 80 million to provide health care and assistance to its nuclear veterans. The former royal marine served on christmas island for 18 months and witnessed three atomic bomb tests.

The british nuclear weapon tests on kiritimati or christmas island had profound and lasting cultural consequences for both atomic veterans and local islanders. By the 1980s there was a permanent population of around 1 200 the majority of whom were gilbertese.