Dear Nuclear Test Veterans, Families and Supporters,

I write with news of a major breakthrough in our campaign. Following persistent efforts by the Nuclear Test Veterans to prove harm caused by the nuclear tests, a previously suppressed internal government report has now been forcibly disclosed after resistance and delay from the MOD. This bombshell report, prepared in 2014 by scientists in the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE), shows:

• Evidence that supports the Nuclear Test Veterans’ accounts that they were exposed to harmful radiation from fallout; that the MOD effectively used them as human guinea pigs.
• That the government’s long-standing position was based on a flawed 1993 report, which was found to be “incomplete” and “factually inaccurate”.
• Veterans and their families were denied the truth about their potential exposure and the causes of serious health conditions.
• Government agencies, including HMG, the MOD, and the AWE, knowingly buried evidence that would have substantiated the Veterans’ claims, misled the courts and Parliament, and denied justice for decades.
• Legal claims and tribunal proceedings were conducted on the basis of incomplete or misleading government information.
• Courts, Parliament, and the public were repeatedly misled.

This disclosure reveals an institutional government-wide culture of cover-up and an autocratic approach to justice. It is staggering but confirms what the Veterans have always known – that the government hid the truth from the world.

Actions Taken

Given the criminal implications of knowingly suppressing the 2014 report and the underlying environmental monitoring data from the 1950s - which directly contradicts government statements in courts, tribunals, to Parliament and to the Veterans themselves - a formal criminal complaint has been submitted to Thames Valley Police. This criminal complaint requests (i) immediate investigation into alleged offences including perverting the course of justice, perjury, misconduct in public office, fraud by false representation, and conspiracy to defraud; (ii) protection for whistleblowers, ensuring any government or AWE employees who provide evidence are encouraged to come forward; and (iii) independent preservation of evidence, as the government can no longer be trusted with evidence.

We have also formally written to the Prime Minister detailing the decades-long cover-up. Key demands include support for the criminal investigations by police, ensuring that those responsibleare held accountable; the establishment of a Tribunal of Inquiry, as long proposed by the Veterans, to provide an expedited, transparent process for considering their claims; the establishment of a broader Public Inquiry into the systemic culture of cover-up and the government’s autocratic approach to justice; a Prime Ministerial statement and apology; the immediate preservation of evidence; and an urgent meeting with the Prime Minister.

Finally, we have also briefed MPs and members of the House of Lords (the Nuclear Test Veterans already have significant cross-party support), urging them to support our calls and put pressure on the government to finally come clean and deliver justice for the Nuclear Test Veterans.

This is a significant breakthrough. We hope the government will now finally come clean, engage appropriately with the Nuclear Test Veterans and finally do the right thing after decades of cover-ups and denials. 

Medical Records Investigation

As you know, the government’s longstanding position of not accepting liability for the harm caused to the Nuclear Test Veterans has put the Veterans in the invidious position of having to prove causation by alternatively needing personal contemporaneous medical records. This is in a situation, however, where the government has either not taken such records or has lost or destroyed them (all of which the Veterans claim is negligent). As you know, this untenable situation – and the time and distress it caused to Veterans – is subject to its own legal challenge.

The MOD has said it is conducting an internal review into the medical records – a review that has taken a year and is still ongoing. We have written to challenge the delay and request further information on the investigation, and we will update you when we have a substantive response. We hope that this investigation will shed light on the whereabouts of the medical records, although there is of course, given the track-record and especially in light of the above disclosure, a lack of trust in the government’s own processes.

Thank You

As always, thank you for your trust and continued support. We remain committed to securing the justice the Nuclear Test Veterans and their families deserve, and my investigation continues.  We will keep you updated as matters progress.

If you can, please support our crowdfunder to enable the final push to victory.

Dear Nuclear Test Veterans Community, 

As you know, the fight for justice for the nuclear test veterans is ongoing. Our efforts form part of the long struggle fought by brave veterans and their families over many decades; a fight for justice, transparency and accountability from the MOD.  We wanted to share a few significant and recent updates in the campaign. 

MOD to Release ‘Classified’ Documents

The first major development is that the MOD have now confirmed that they will be releasing the Merlin Database (a considerably large body of previously ‘classified’ MOD documents) to the national archives. We expect that 10,000 documents will be released in the next few months - documents that are likely to shed further light on what really went on in the South Pacific and Australia, potentially exposing MOD wrongdoing and proving further weight to the nuclear test veterans’ claims.  We are looking forward to considering these important documents, which will no doubt inform our legal and political strategies. 

Civil Claims in Progress 

We continue to build a focused set of potential civil claims that challenge the lack of/or lack of access to medical records for veterans and their families, efficiently with the resources that we have. As part of this, we will consider how the released Merlin documents may support or strengthen these claims. As explained previously, the aim of this sample of civil claims is to force the MOD to come clean and set legal precedent – potentially paving the way for broader compensation rights. 

We are, as ever, grateful to all of the support we have received from the veterans and the wider community in preparing these potential claims - we know the process of compiling the requisite evidence required to issue a claim is time consuming and not straightforward, but this work is essential to ensure that if we issue a claim, it is robust, well-founded and capable of holding the MOD to account.  

Push for a Special Justice Tribunal 

In parallel, we are actively lobbying for the creation of a Special Justice Tribunal. We continue to believe that pushing for a special tribunal - with the power to find out the truth about what happened and adjudicate on compensation awards – is the most effective and economically viable way to obtain justice for all nuclear test veterans and their families, in a quicker time frame than what could be lengthy litigation.  Since early 2024, alongside preparing for litigation if this approach fails, we have been urging the government to come to the table and work with us to structure a tribunal of this type.  

Recently, we have made exciting progress as our lobbying efforts have gained traction, and we continue to see increased support amongst MPs. With recent indications of potential support from senior British politicians, we are now seeking to redouble our efforts. In short, our aim is to get to the truth, an apology, to end the cover-up, to enable scientific research, establish a memorial of national significance and to award compensation.

Thank You 

As always, thank you for your trust and continued support. We remain committed to securing the justice the nuclear test veterans deserve. 

Best wishes, 

McCue Jury & Partners

Dear Supporters, 

Thank you for your generous support to date for the Nuclear Test Veterans’ search for justice.  

As you know, we are continuing to fight for the release of Veterans’ missing medical records, while the MOD continues its pattern of denial and delay.  We could not have continued without your support to date, so thank you.  There is a significant amount going on in the campaign, which we explain below.

Letters Before Action 

In March 2025, the MOD finally responded to our demand to engage the proposal for a Special Tribunal or face legal action.  Once again, their short response failed to engage with the legal arguments and instead pointed to historic litigation bought on different grounds.  This is no surprise and represents a continued pattern of obfuscation and delay by the MOD.

Their letter attempted to provide some comfort to Veterans and their families, noting that the Minister for Veterans and People had agreed to examine unresolved questions around the medical records. However, disappointingly, a recent meeting between campaigners and that Minister has revealed that no progress has been made, no budget allocated, and no time limit provided for when this review will be completed.  Once again, we see this as nothing other than an attempt to kick this into the long grass.  

The Merlin Database 

In addition, pressure from the campaign has forced the MOD to agree to the release of the Merlin database – containing documents collated for the purposes of Nuclear Test Veterans litigation – to the National Archives. Although this is a welcome step, at over half a million documents, the release is likely to take an unacceptable amount of time to upload and create an overwhelm of documents for the veterans to review. Additionally, if the government chooses to place a cost on accessing these documents, it is likely to impose an unaffordable burden on veterans and their families, rendering the right of access illusory. We hope that this will not be the case.

Moving Forward – Issuing Civil Claims

These empty promises and false notions of progress are disappointing and leave us with no choice to prepare to issue civil claims on behalf of Veterans and their families. Evidence is currently being prepared and finalised on behalf of certain lead claimants, whom we have selected from the wider pool of potential claimants because they reflect characteristics of all those involved in the claim.  The aim of this approach is to move forwards as quickly as possible, in order to get a Court to order the MoD to answer the questions it has been dodging for so long.  Any precedent set by the lead claimants’ claim will then be rolled out to the wider claimant group to ensure that we force the MOD to right this historic wrong.

Litigation was not the path we had hoped for, but it is now the only way forward to hold the MOD to account and push them to promptly disclose the veterans’ medical records after decades of concealment.  

Criminal Dossier 

Aside from the civil claim, on 11 May 2025, a criminal dossier was served on the Metropolitan Police alleging misconduct in public office over the campaign to cover up the nuclear experiments. The 500-page dossier identifies numerous officials who are alleged to have taken part in the cover-up and will now be reviewed by the Police. 

Political Lobbying

Additionally, alongside the legal action, we also continue to lobby parliament and push for change through political means. On 11 April 2025, Brian Unthank (one of the brave nuclear test veterans) and Oli Troen (Senior Associate on the legal team representing the veterans) briefed MPs alongside Rebecca Long-Bailey in Parliament. There was cross-party support and engagement on the issue, and we will continue to ensure the campaign remains on the political agenda. 

Thank You

Once again, we thank all our supporters for their generous contributions in funding the case. We could not have made it to this point without you. Each one of your donations, big or small, truly makes a difference in achieving justice for these Veterans who nobly served our nation.

If you are also willing and able to copy and paste the below text to just 10 of your friends and family, share our crowdfunding link on social media, it could have a huge impact on public awareness and support for our fight. We need the Bloody Truth, and we won't stop until we have it.

We send you our thanks for all you've done so far.

The Nuclear Veteran Community

 +++

Suggested text:

Between 1952 and 1967, more than 20,000 British servicemen took part in hundreds of Cold War weapons tests in Australia and the South Pacific.  They would have been jailed for refusing.  Their efforts delivered the nuclear deterrent which has kept this country and her allies safe ever since. Today, only 2,000 or so - most in their 80s, and with chronic health problems - still survive.

But their medical records - detailing blood and urine tests taken during the trials, to assess what impact if any it was having on their bodies - are mysteriously missing. Without them, thousands of troops have suffered decades of fear and worry. Their 155,000 descendants, who report high rates of birth defects, are also traumatised.

The UK government is the only nuclear power on Earth to continue to deny its nuclear weapons testing ever harmed anyone, and has persistently denied such blood tests ever took place.

In 2022, we found the proof that they did. We've found the orders, and proved this personal health data, vital for accurate diagnosis and treatment, is hidden under national security exemptions. Even more new evidence is coming to light following our lobbying efforts.

The Nuclear Veterans are demanding these missing medical records and could really use your help to crowdfund their case. I’ve already donated and they’ve raised over £65,000, but are trying to reach £100,000 by 1 March 2025.

You can donate on the crowdfunding campaign page by clicking here https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/nuclear-veterans-case/. Please share on Facebook and Twitter, to generate even more donations and awareness of this excellent cause.

Thank you for your support.

Dear Supporters, 

Thank you for your generous support to date for the Nuclear Test Veterans’ search for justice.  

Our aim remains clear: to secure access to the veterans’ missing medical records and to find out what really happened in the South Pacific all those years ago.  

The release of the BBC documentary Britain’s Nuclear Bomb Scandal: Our Story in November had an immediate impact. Since its release, we have received over £10,000 in further donations to the crowdfunder.  And, just one day after its broadcast, the Labour Government announced a review into the medical records taken during the nuclear testing programme and their whereabouts. However, despite this commitment, we are still waiting for a substantive response. 

In parallel, the legal team formally submitted a formal proposal to the Secretary of State, outlining the legal foundation for the long-overdue Special Justice Tribunal the veterans are advocating for. Our message was clear: engage with the process or face legal action.

We asked the MOD to respond by 31 December 2024. The MOD missed that deadline to respond, continuing their pattern of avoidance and delay. With no substantive engagement and a continuing failure to disclose medical records, the veterans’ representatives wrote again to the MOD in January 2025 to say they are now preparing to escalate the dispute into formal litigation. Under pressure, the MOD promised to respond in the second week of January, though we have heard nothing since.

The legal team is now working with the veterans to finalise the evidence required to issue formal proceedings.  We are continuing to undertake health assessments with the claimants to build the case that the MOD’s failure to provide the medical records is causing ongoing harm.  If the MOD continues to obfuscate, this evidence will be key to demonstrating the veterans’ case, and we could not have obtained it without the generosity of the donors to this cause. 

Once again, we thank all our supporters for their generous contributions in funding the case. We could not have made it to this point without you. Each one of your donations, big or small, truly makes a difference in achieving justice for these Veterans who nobly served our nation.

If you are also willing and able to copy and paste the below text to just 10 of your friends and family, share our crowdfunding link on social media, it could have a huge impact on public awareness and support for our fight. We need the Bloody Truth, and we won't stop until we have it.

We send you our thanks for all you've done so far.

The Nuclear Veteran Community

+++

Suggested text:

Between 1952 and 1967, more than 20,000 British servicemen took part in hundreds of Cold War weapons tests in Australia and the South Pacific.  They would have been jailed for refusing.  Their efforts delivered the nuclear deterrent which has kept this country and her allies safe ever since. Today, only 2,000 or so - most in their 80s, and with chronic health problems - still survive.

But their medical records - detailing blood and urine tests taken during the trials, to assess what impact if any it was having on their bodies - are mysteriously missing. Without them, thousands of troops have suffered decades of fear and worry. Their 155,000 descendants, who report high rates of birth defects, are also traumatised.

The UK government is the only nuclear power on Earth to continue to deny its nuclear weapons testing ever harmed anyone, and has persistently denied such blood tests ever took place.

In 2022, we found the proof that they did. We've found the orders, and proved this personal health data, vital for accurate diagnosis and treatment, is hidden under national security exemptions. Even more new evidence is coming to light following our lobbying efforts.

The Nuclear Veterans are demanding these missing medical records and could really use your help to crowdfund their case. I’ve already donated and they’ve raised over £65,000, but are trying to reach £100,000 by 1 March 2025.

You can donate on the crowdfunding campaign page by clicking here https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/nuclear-veterans-case/. Please share on Facebook and Twitter, to generate even more donations and awareness of this excellent cause.

Thank you for your support.

Dear Supporters

Tonight at 9pm BBC 2 will air Britain’s Nuclear Bomb Scandal: Our Story (Hardcash Films).  This is D-day in our campaign for truth and justice.  The 75-minute documentary stands to be as significant for the veterans as Mr Bates v The Post Office was for postmasters.  

It makes clear that that troops, civilians and indigenous people were knowingly, recklessly and negligently exposed to radiation during the nuclear testing programme in Australia and the South Pacific in the 1950s and 60s.  

It shows they were treated like guinea pigs in the proximity of nuclear experiments, forced to fly, march, crawl and sail through mushroom clouds with little or no protection, while their health was monitored and the results of that monitoring hidden from them ever since.  

It leaves no doubt that various arms of the British State have sought to repress truth about what really happened, leaving veterans and their families in the dark about the risks that they face.  

All of the above the veterans and their families knew already.  But, finally, others will see it too. And it leaves the Ministry of Defence, which is the department with ultimate responsibility for this scandal, in an impossible position - no longer able to deny what everyone knows, yet still refusing to acknowledge the seriousness of its failures, and the size of its legal liabilities.

This is a critical moment for the campaign.  The public outcry will be huge.  The MoD must now come to the table and engage with the veterans on their offer of a Special Justice Tribunal. This is the only timely and cost-efficient way of ending this scandal, without time-consuming and expensive litigation or public inquiry.

The legal team will provide a further update later this week. 

Dear Supporters

We write to provide you with an update on the Nuclear Test Veterans' fight for justice.

We remain in Phase 1 of this action, which is to try to get an answer from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) on where the Veterans’ medical records are and, if they do not have them, an explanation of what happened to them.  Phase 1 is supported entirely from donations so we are extremely grateful for your support to date.  

Since the Letter Before Action was served at the end of March the MoD have made no attempt at constructive discussion, only attempting to shut down the legal proceedings through stonewalling and diversion.  In response to our 45 pages of documentation sent at the end of March they provided a short two page response pointing us to irrelevant historic judgments.

They have not engaged at all with the key question: now that we know the medical records were taken, where are they?

Additionally, the MoD have refused to engage with the possibility of establishing a special tribunal, which would be the swiftest way to ensure justice for the Veterans and their families.  This is unsurprising, but disappointing nonetheless.

Over the past six weeks, the MoD has delayed their response to our correspondence several times.

As a result, we have now written three times to the MoD demanding they provide a proper response to the Veterans’ claims.  If they continue to obfuscate, we will be left with no choice but to seek to compel them to engage through Court action.   We will keep you updated once we have a more substantive response.

At the same time there are other encouraging aspects to the campaign.

Following public pressure, the Atomic Weapons Establishment recently de-classified and published 150 historic files that relate to blood and urine testing of the Veterans.  While our review is ongoing, these records show that testing of the Veterans should have, or did, take place.  They also show that records were kept.  The fact they were classified for so long demonstrates the uphill struggle the Veterans face. 

The recent publication of the Infected Blood Inquiry’s report is also encouraging. It demonstrates that under enough pressure, an independent body can be established to investigate government cover-ups and discover the truth - even many years later.  

Once again, we thank all our supporters for their generous contributions in funding the case. We could not have made it to this point without you. Each one of your donations, big or small, truly makes a difference in achieving justice for these Veterans who nobly served our nation.

If you are also willing and able to copy and paste the below text to just 10 of your friends and family, share our crowdfunding link on social media, it could have a huge impact on public awareness and support for our fight. We need the Bloody Truth, and we won't stop until we have it.

We send you our thanks for all you've done so far.

The Nuclear Veteran Community

+++

Suggested text:

Between 1952 and 1967, more than 20,000 British servicemen took part in hundreds of Cold War weapons tests in Australia and the South Pacific.  They would have been jailed for refusing.  Their efforts delivered the nuclear deterrent which has kept this country and her allies safe ever since. Today, only 2,000 or so - most in their 80s, and with chronic health problems - still survive.

But their medical records - detailing blood and urine tests taken during the trials, to assess what impact if any it was having on their bodies - are mysteriously missing. Without them, thousands of troops have suffered decades of fear and worry. Their 155,000 descendants, who report high rates of birth defects, are also traumatised.

The UK government is the only nuclear power on Earth to continue to deny its nuclear weapons testing ever harmed anyone, and has persistently denied such blood tests ever took place.

In 2022, we found the proof that they did. We've found the orders, and proved this personal health data, vital for accurate diagnosis and treatment, is hidden under national security exemptions. Even more new evidence is coming to light following our lobbying efforts.

The Nuclear Veterans are demanding these missing medical records and could really use your help to crowdfund their case. I’ve already donated and they’ve raised over £62,000, but are trying to reach £100,000 by 1 September 2024.

You can donate on the crowdfunding campaign page by clicking here https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/nuclear-veterans-case/. Please share on Facebook and Twitter, to generate even more donations and awareness of this excellent cause.

Thank you for your support.

March 2024 update:

Our aim is to secure access to the veterans’ missing medical records, the existence of which would be able to finally prove whether or not these brave men were irradiated in service of their country, and any connection to the litany of health problems they have suffered ever since. More importantly we want to find out what the government knew, and we did not.

A group of survivors and descendants served a Letter Before Action – the starting gun in legal proceedings – on the MoD earlier today (Tuesday March 19). The letter was also served on Rishi Sunak at Downing Street, along with a petition calling for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to recognise and honour these men with the truth. You can read about it here: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/nuclear-bomb-test-veterans-serve-32391626

It is not enough to launch a case and wait many years for resolution. The average veteran is now well into his 80s. So we have made the government an offer to resolve our claim through a Special Tribunal, a fast-track alternative to court proceedings, with the statutory powers to investigate, compensate, and commemorate the longest-running scandal in British history. If it is agreed, this would not only reduce costs to the taxpayer, but have a remit to report back within a year.

The MoD now has a Hobson’s Choice.  Its legal options are either to provide the missing records to us so we can make any personal injury claims, or to compensate us for negligence and recklessness if the records have been withheld, lost, destroyed, or never taken at all. 

But there is another way.  Should the MoD really want to honour those who have done their duty and build a positive legacy for the future, it can engage in a discussion with the veterans about the establishment of the tribunal.  This would avoid the protracted expense of a long court battle, when for many veterans time is running out.  We await their response and have demanded one in 21 days: we will update you again when we get it.

We could not have got this far without you, and we thank you very much for your generous support. We now need to ask for your support again, to fund the next phase of preparations for a possible court hearing. We know times are hard, but anything you could give can and will make a big difference.

Dear Supporter, 

Thank you for your generous help with the Nuclear Test Veterans’ search for justice.  

As you know, we are fighting for straight answers from the Ministry of Defence about the whereabouts of veteran medical records. Without them, they and their families will never truly know what level of radiation they were exposed to during the Cold War weapons programme which has kept us all safe for seven decades. Nor will they ever be able to get accurate diagnoses and medical treatment, or peace of mind about what really happened to them.

We'd like to update you on the legal work we've been able to do, thanks to your donation. 

The first phase of the legal action is underway.  In the two and a half months since the launch of this campaign, we have laid the groundwork for formal proceedings to force the MoD to release or confirm the whereabouts of medical records. We cannot provide full details of the legal strategy due to its sensitive nature, but we can say that our legal team at McCue Jury & Partners have:

• Collected and reviewed evidence and witness testimony, to provide a compelling narrative of the medical testing conducted on tri-service personnel over more than a decade during the nuclear trials programme
• Developed a plan based on that evidence
• Instructed a King’s Counsel, who has provided a formal legal opinion on the viability of the novel strategy that we have developed
• Begun a global database of nuclear test veterans and their families
• Engaged with key politicians and stakeholders to collaborate with them to address the medical records, and advocate for the nuclear community

The ongoing lobbying and the building threat of legal action is increasing the pressure on the MoD.  Most recently, you may have seen its commitment for a review by ministers and officials of 150 documents about blood testing of troops uncovered by the Daily Mirror. The Atomic Weapons Establishment has confirmed it holds these files, which it had previously denied existed. Some of these appear to have been withheld from the public under national security exemptions, and our investigation into how and why this happened to personal health data continues. 

We are now ready to take the next step, and formally demand release of medical records or, should they no longer exist, answers about what happened to them. Depending on how the MoD responds, we may need to ask a court to order it comply with our request.

We could not do this without you, and we thank you very much for your generous support so far. We have received large donations, from Ecotricity founder Dale Vince and the Mirror's parent company Reach plc, but wider support is invaluable to continue our fight for the truth. Without your help these next steps would be impossible, and the truth forever out of reach.

If you are also willing and able to copy and paste the below text to just 10 of your friends and family, share our crowdfunding link on social media, or ask for donations as a Christmas gift, it could have a huge impact on public awareness and support for our fight. We need the Bloody Truth, and we won't stop until we have it.

We send you our thanks for all you've done so far, and our very best wishes for Christmas and the New Year.

The Nuclear Veteran Community

Suggested text:

Between 1952 and 1967, more than 20,000 British servicemen took part in hundreds of Cold War weapons tests in Australia and the South Pacific.  They would have been jailed for refusing.  Their efforts delivered the nuclear deterrent which has kept this country and her allies safe ever since. Today, only 2,000 or so - most in their 80s, and with chronic health problems - still survive.

But their medical records - detailing blood and urine tests taken during the trials, to assess what impact if any it was having on their bodies - are mysteriously missing. Without them, thousands of troops have suffered decades of fear and worry. Their 155,000 descendants, who report high rates of birth defects, are also traumatised.

The UK government is the only nuclear power on Earth to continue to deny its nuclear weapons testing ever harmed anyone, and has persistently denied such blood tests ever took place.

Last year we found the proof that they did. We've found the orders, and proved this personal health data, vital for accurate diagnosis and treatment, is hidden under national security exemptions.

The Nuclear Veterans are demanding these missing medical records and could really use your help to crowdfund their case. I’ve already donated and they’ve raised over £53,000, but are trying to reach £100,000 by 1 January 2024.

You can donate on the crowdfunding campaign page by clicking here https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/nuclear-veterans-case/. Please share on Facebook and Twitter, to generate even more donations and awareness of this excellent cause.

Thank you for your support.