Eric Barton

I am a British Nuclear Veteran, I was present at Christmas Island in 1962 for Operation Dominic 1. This was a series of above-ground nuclear tests carried out by the United States military, but supported by members of the UK Armed Services. At the age of twenty and just finished training I was told I was being posted to a paradise island (Christmas Island). I had never heard of it or knew where it was. On arrival I wasn’t impressed, a barren coral island. Down at Port London I was given my protective wear (a pair of sunglasses), no film badge or anything else. The lads said don’t worry the Island’s better than it looks. The next day there was to be a test, we were musted on the football pitch and told to face away from the detonation. On detonation there was this great flash and everything was brighter than the sun. After a while we were allowed to turn around and look. I couldn’t believe my eyes, something I had never seen before. To me it was a wondrous sight, this great big mushroom cloud, the top rolling in on itself, all the colours of the rainbow. There was this great big bang followed by a wind that you had to resist. I soon knew why we were there. How was I to know the devastation this would bring to so many veterans and their families. Veterans dying early through cancers and other causes, wives having miscarriages, children born with deformities, blood cancers and the list carries on. This is all passed down through the generations.

I made friends with four lads on the Island, back home we all lived within a fifteen-mile radius of each other, I am sorry to say they have all died through cancers, all in their fifties. In 1993 I was diagnosed with bowel cancer, I must have had a good surgeon because I am still here today to talk about it. It was in 2008 that I heard about the American RECA program and any Brits that were present at Dominic 1, providing they met the criteria they were entitled to make a claim. On 11-24-08 I filled the forms in and with all the docs they asked for I submitted my claim. By December 2008 all my documents were returned. In June 2009 I was told my claim was successful. In December 2009 I received payment for the full amount for a participant. I must truly thank the RECA scheme.

Earlier this year [2022] I was very pleased to see President Biden sign the Bill to extend the scheme for another two years. I believe that the National Association of Atomic Veterans (NAAV) and their Commander had a big part in this. Let’s hope that after this it can be extended for a lot longer, the atrocities that these bombs have left instilled in the veterans will go on for many years to come. The British government doesn’t have anything like this, in fact they don’t recognise the veterans and keep saying we were not put in any danger, we are still fighting them for recognition. After this I started to help the families of the four friends who had passed, all claims were successful. After this I put posts out on social media offering to help veterans and families across the UK who thought they may have a claim. Up until now (August 2020), British families have made thirty-two applications under the RECA scheme, seven were rejected and twenty-five successful, there are still three waiting for confirmation. Up until now the scheme has paid out more than $1,800,000 to British families.

I know that in America you are having trouble getting your clean up veterans, uranium miners, and Idaho downwinders into the scheme. I am sure that with “Expand RECA” and NAAV it will be achievable.

We at LABRATS being an International Company will give any help we can, in any way we can.

Wishing you all the best.

Eric