Three war veterans who played a part in a 1950s nuclear testing programme have been presented with medals by the Mayor of Tonbridge and Malling.
Detonations of nuclear tests took place on Kiritimati (Christmas Island) in the South Pacific Ocean during the late 1950s. In 2023, the government announced that veterans would receive specially minted medals to mark their contribution to the British testing programme.
The Mayor of Tonbridge, Councillor James Lark, presented medals to Terry Quinlan, from Leybourne, Ian Kury, from Hildenborough, and Raymond Porter from Sevenoaks at a special ceremony held at Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council’s offices at Kings Hill.
Between May 1957 and September 1958, the British government tested nine thermonuclear weapons on Christmas Island for Operation Grapple. Then, in 1962, the UK cooperated with the US on Operation Dominic, undertaking a further 31 detonations.
Sharing his memories of the tests, Mr Kury remembers the intensity of the blasts:
‘We were up at 4am for the test at 7am. They dropped the bomb and you felt heat across your back, like an electric fire for a fraction of a second. We were 28 miles away, the sound takes a lot longer to reach you so all of a sudden all the palm trees were blown over and you hit the ground.’
Mayor of Tonbridge, Cllr James Lark said: ‘I’d like to pay tribute to the courage and resilience of our veterans who, after six decades, are finally receiving the recognition they deserve for their sacrifices during nuclear testing, a period of history often overlooked. It was a pleasure to present these medals and hear the veterans’ profound stories.’