On 3 October 2023, to mark medals being awarded to nuclear test veterans, school children from across the United Kingdom joined Big Ideas for a series of three digital workshops with a very special guest.
Over the course of three workshops, pilot and ‘cloud sampler’, Squadron Leader John Robinson shared his experiences on Christmas Island, where Britain tested nuclear weapons.
Young people asked poignant questions about nuclear weapons and engaged with a unique moment in British history. John’s stories were truly astonishing. His personal courage struck us all.
Fielding dozens of questions from school children, John talked about the mechanics of sampling nuclear clouds, flight navigation using the sun and keeping warm in the extreme cold of the cockpit.
Squadron Leader John Robinson is a Nuclear Test Veteran, a British Serviceman who helped deliver Britain’s nuclear testing programme in the 1950s, pictured
This year, as the medals are being awarded medals. Remember Together: Nuclear Test Veterans supports school and community groups to learn about this important moment in history from the people who were there.
Four special films have been created with Nuclear Test Veterans in Scotland, Wales, England and Fiji, with school children in each of the Home Nations. These films are a moving tribute to our Nuclear Test Veterans documenting their unique experiences for future generations.
To access these films and supporting resources follow this link to register your interest. Community groups can apply for small scale funding to screen the films across the UK.
Our thanks to the team at the British High Commission in Fiji and to Imperial War Museum for sharing archive footage with the project. Remember Together: Nuclear Test Veterans is made possible through the Office for Veterans’ Affairs’ Nuclear Test Veteran Community Fund.