Documents from the 5th February 1958, show the contempt for the men of 76 Squadron and the lack of care for the servicemen in order to get the results required from the nuclear tests.
We have today published the documents to show the disrespect of the UK Government to the expendable personnel.
For any officers that exceeded 10r over Grapple and Antler trials, the application should be made for the special higher integrated dose.
"IT WAS ASSUMED THAT THIS WAS DONE"
No check to see if it was done, just assumed that you could submit someone to an increased dose of radiation.
Dosimeter readings for Grapple 'Y' for the sampling aircraft.
Sniff Two obviously struck the 'hottest' zone and slightly exceeded his maximum permitted dose in only one penetration.
Unfortunately however, 'Sniff One' was subsequently proved to have slightly exceeded his and the Squadron was thus faced with the unfortunate need to replace two crews instead of the one philosophically accepted as 'expendable'.
'ACCEPTED AS EXPENDABLE'
After landing and the tedious business of personnel decontamination had been completed. flying clothing navigation kits and airplanes were left in the active-handling area with many premises of '"We'll have them out for you just as soon as they're clean" (a period which, in the event varied from two days for clothing to two and a half weeks for the last aircraft)
'TEDIOUS BUSINESS OF PERSONNEL DECONTAMINATION'
Conclusion
Get the results at all costs, don't worry about safety procedures for the personnel, and assumptions made that their radiation exposure was being checked and monitored.
One crew was accepted as being expendable, but it ended up as being two crews exposed.
It is extremely tedious decontaminating personnel.
These servicemen were used in an experiment, this document proves the disrespect and the expendability of the men. Just how many people were exposed to the clothing and the aircraft whilst it was being decontaminated?
Servicemen were classed as expendable, the test must be carried out at all costs, no matter what the consequence and for what. 70 years on from the first British test, the denial continues.
No Risk or Rigour. perhaps those making the decisions on recognition need to listen to those who were there and to those whose lives were affected by the testing program forever. So many have fallen, so many lives destroyed by the tests. Yet the UK still denies any responsibility. Shocking.