The following is a list of events that contribute to the story of the British nuclear test veterans. Some of the locations in the timeline are to be found marked on the map.
1940
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April 10
The MAUD Committee formed. Headed by Sir Henry
Tizard, this committee worked out the basic
principles of both fission bomb design and uranium
enrichment by gaseous diffusion. Britain was the
first country to seriously study the feasibility of
nuclear weapons.
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1947
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January 8
The decision to proceed with development and
acquisition of atomic weapons is made by the secret
GEN.163 Cabinet committee of six Ministers (headed
by PM Attlee).
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June
Design of the first weapon, a plutonium bomb, began at Fort Halstead in Kent under William Penney. His group, located in a secret enclave within the Armaments Research Establishment, was known simply as 'High Explosive Research' - HER.
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1952
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February 25
Windscale (now Sellafield) begins plutonium
operation.
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September 15
The plutonium core for the first British nuclear
device leaves England.
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October 3
25 kiloton detonation aboard HMS Plym in Main Bay,
close to Trimouille Island, one of the Monte Bello
Islands, Australia. Test name 'Hurricane'. HMS Plym
was mostly vapourised except for small scattered
fragments of hot metal that set fire to the spinifex
scrub covering Trimouille Island. William Penney is awarded a knighthood
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1953
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October 14
10 kiloton detonation on a 31 meter tower on Emu
Field, Australia. Test name 'T1', part of "Totem"
series.
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October 26
8 kiloton detonation on a 31 meter tower on Emu
Field, Australia. Test name 'T2', part of 'Totem'
series.
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1955
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UK announces it's decision to develop a hydrogen bomb.
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1956
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May 16
15 kiloton detonation on a 31 meter tower on
Tremouille Island, Monte Bello, Australia. Test name
'G1', part of the 'Mosaic' series.
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June 19
56 kiloton detonation on a tower on Alpha Island,
Monte Bello, Australia. Test name 'G2', part of the
'Mosaic' series.
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September 27
15 kiloton detonation on a 31 meter tower an
Maralinga, Australia. Test name 'One Tree', part of
the 'Buffalo' series.
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October 4
1.5 kiloton detonation on the ground at Maralinga,
Australia. Test name 'Marco', part of the 'Buffalo'
series.
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October 11
3 kiloton land airburst detonation at 150 meters at
Maralinga, Australia. Test name 'Kite', part of the
'Buffalo' series.
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October 22
10 kiloton detonation on a 31 meter tower at
Maralinga, Australia. Test name 'Brekaway', part of
the 'Buffalo' series.
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1957
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May 15
300 kiloton airburst detonation at 2200 meters over
the ocean near Malden Island, Pacific Ocean. Test
name 'Short Granite', part of the 'Grapple' series.
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May 31
720 kiloton airburst detonation 2400 meters over
the ocean near Malden Island, Pacific Ocean. Test
name 'Orange Herald', part of the 'Grapple' series.
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June 19
200 kiloton air drop detonation 2400 meters over
the ocean near Malden Island, Pacific Ocean. Test
name 'Purple Granite', part of the 'Grapple' series.
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September 15
1 kiloton detonation on a 31 meter tower in
Maralinga. Test name 'Tadje', part of the 'Antler'
series.
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September 25
6 kiloton detonation on a 31 meter tower in
Maralinga. Test name 'Biak', part of the 'Antler'
series.
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October 9
25 kiloton balloon detonation 300 meters over
Maralinga. Test name 'Taranaki', part of the
'Antler' series.
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November 8
1.8 megaton air drop detonation 2200 meters above
the ocean off Christmas Island. Test name 'Short
Granite', 'Grapple X' test.
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1958
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April 28
3 megaton air drop detonation 2500 meters above the
ocean off Christmas Island. Test name 'Grapple Y'.
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August 22
24 kiloton balloon detonation 450 meters above the
ocean off Christmas Island. Test name 'Pennant',
part of the 'Grapple Z' series.
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September 2
1 megaton air drop detonation 2800 meters above the
ocean off Christmas Island. Test name 'Flagpole',
part of the 'Grapple Z' series.
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September 11
800 kiloton air drop detonation 2600 meters above
the ocean off Christmas Island. Test name
'Halliarda', part of the 'Grapple Z' series.
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October 23
25 kiloton ballon detonation 450 meters above the
ocean off Christmas Island. Test name 'Burgee', part
of the 'Grapple Z' series.
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Moratorium on atmospheric nuclear weapon tests announced
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1962
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March 1
9.5 kiloton shaft detonation at Nevada Test Site.
Test name 'Pampas', part of the 'Nougat' series.
Joint US/UK test.
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April 25 - July 11
38 explosions
up to 7.65 Megatons each, on an almost daily basis. "Weapons
related Airdrops" which were as close as 10 miles south of Christmas
Island. US test name 'Dominic', UK test name 'Brigadoon'. |
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May 15
0 kiloton surface storage & transportation test
at Nellis Air Force Range, Nevada, USA. Measured
plutonium dispersal risk. Test name 'Double tracks',
part of the 'Roller Coaster' test series. Joint
US/UK test.
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May 25
0 kiloton surface storage & transportation test
at Nellis Air Force Range, Nevada, USA. Measured
plutonium dispersal risk. Test name 'Clean Slate I',
part of the 'Roller Coaster' test series. Joint
US/UK test.
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May 31
0 kiloton surface storage & transportation test
at Nellis Air Force Range, Nevada, USA. Measured
plutonium dispersal risk. Test name 'Clean Slate
II', part of the 'Roller Coaster' test series. Joint
US/UK test.
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June 9
0 kiloton surface storage & transportation test
at Nellis Air Force Range, Nevada, USA. Measured
plutonium dispersal risk. Test name 'Clean Slate
III', part of the 'Roller Coaster' test series.
Joint US/UK test.
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December 7
20 kiloton shaft detonation at Nevada Test Site.
Test name 'Tendrac', part of the 'Storax' series.
Joint US/UK test.
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1964
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July 17
20 kiloton shaft detonation at Nevada Test Site.
Test name 'Cormorant', part of the 'Whetstone'
series. Joint US/UK test.
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September 25
0 kiloton shaft detonation at Nevada Test Site.
Test name 'Courser', part of the 'Whetstone' series.
Joint US/UK test.
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1965
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September 10
200 kiloton shaft detonation at Nevada Test
Site. Test name 'Charcoal', part of the 'Flintlock'
series. Joint US/UK test.
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1967
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Clean-up of Maralinga and Emu test sites - Operation Brumby - commences.
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1974
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May 23
200 kiloton shaft detonation at Nevada Test Site.
Test name 'Fallon', part of the 'Arbor' series.
Joint US/UK test.
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1976
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August 26
150 kiloton shaft detonation at Nevada Test Site.
Test name 'Banon', part of the 'Anvil' series. Joint
US/UK test.
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1978
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April 11
150 kiloton shaft detonation at Nevada Test Site.
Test name 'Fondutta', part of the 'Cresset' series.
Joint US/UK test.
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November 18
150 kiloton shaft detonation at Nevada Test Site.
Test name 'Quargel', part of the 'Quicksilver'
series. Joint US/UK test.
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1979
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August 29
150 kiloton shaft detonation at Nevada Test Site.
Test name 'Nessel', part of the 'Quicksilver'
series. Joint US/UK test.
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1980
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April 26
150 kiloton shaft detonation at Nevada Test Site.
Test name 'Colwick', part of the 'Tinderbox' series.
Joint US/UK test.
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October 24
20 kiloton shaft detonation at Nevada Test Site.
Test name 'Dutchess', part of the 'Guardian' series.
Joint US/UK test.
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December 17
150 kiloton shaft detonation at Nevada Test Site.
Test name 'Serpa', part of the 'Guardian' series.
Joint US/UK test.
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1981
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November 12
150 kiloton shaft detonation at Nevada Test Site.
Test name 'Rousanne', part of the 'Praetorian'
series. Joint US/UK test.
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1982
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April 25
150 kiloton shaft detonation at Nevada Test Site.
Test name 'Gibne', part of the 'Praetorian' series.
Joint US/UK test.
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1983
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April 22
20 kiloton shaft detonation at Nevada Test Site.
Test name 'Armada', part of the 'Phalanx' series.
Joint US/UK test.
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May
The formation of the British Nuclear Test Veterans
Association.
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1984
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May 1
150 kiloton shaft detonation at Nevada Test Site.
Test name 'Mundo', part of the 'Fusileer' series.
Joint US/UK test.
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December 9
150 kiloton shaft detonation at Nevada Test Site.
Test name 'Egmont', part of the 'Grenadier' series.
Joint US/UK test.
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1985
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December 5
150 kiloton shaft detonation at Nevada Test Site.
Test name 'Kinibito', part of the 'Charioteer'
series. Joint US/UK test.
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1986
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June 25
150 kiloton shaft detonation at Nevada Test Site.
Test name 'Darwin', part of the 'Charioteer' series.
Joint US/UK test.
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1987
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July 16
150 kiloton shaft detonation at Nevada Test Site.
Test name 'Midland', part of the 'Musketeer' series.
Joint US/UK test.
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1989
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December 18
150 kiloton shaft detonation at Nevada Test Site.
Test name 'Barnwell', part of the 'Aqueduct' series.
Joint US/UK test.
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1990
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November 14
150 kiloton shaft detonation at Nevada Test Site.
Test name 'Houston', part of the 'Sculpin' series.
Joint US/UK test.
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1991
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November 26
20 kiloton shaft detonation at Nevada Test Site.
Test name 'Bristol', part of the 'Julin' series.
Joint US/UK test.
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1998
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June 9
In the case of McGinley and Egan versus the United
Kingdom the European Court of Human Rights rules in
favour of the Ministry of Defence. (Read the
Judgement Document)
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