ARE THEY TAKING THE PISS?

FROM THE ARCHIVE OF FLT LT JOE PASQUINI

All we know is someone certainly was …

It appears as if there are several veterans / families of veterans which are having difficulty in obtaining their medical records / the medical records of their beloved deceased from the authorities.

Flt Lt Joe Pasquini was fortunate to have obtained some of his many years ago, in 2010, when he requested a copy of his records on file when he started the process for his War Pension Application.

Going through the records there is a particular entry of note in his medical cards

August 29, 1963:

This young officer has a leak of urine at times of movement and stress e.g. coughing. It is worsening and proves a social embarrassment. This is a symptom with which I am not familiar in young men and I would welcome advise – so would he!

September 12, 1963:

This problem has been a persistent symptom for about five years….. He can, to a limited degree control his disability.

September 17, 1963

“For five years has had some incontinence of urine and occasional stress incontinence … “

At the date of this medical note Flt Lt Joe Pasquini was 29 years old.

Five years earlier on September 2nd, 1958, at the age of 24, he was in Sniff 1 Canberra B6 WH 979 flying through the mushroom cloud, as a member of the 76 squadron, left behind by the 1 megaton detonation of Operation Grapple Zulu Flagpole.

The Charlie meter reading for this flight, in Canberra B6 WJ 979, was 11.2 roentgens. The Charlie meter measured the indicated cumulative dose-rate for their flight. (Note the personal Film Badge and QF dosimeter readings for Flt Lt Joe Pasquini are officially slightly lower than this number – but at the same time his exposure on this mission could be considered in modern terms about 30 years’ worth of natural exposure.)

There were no entries in the medical records of Flt Lt Joe Pasquini prior to this which indicate any problems of this nature ‘down below’.

BLADDER ‘ INCOMPETENCE ‘

The official diagnosis is ‘Bladder Incompetence’ – however the more detailed description speaks of incontinence and stress incontinence.

Incontinence is known to be a side effect of radiation therapy ‘down there’ LINK.

According to the website of Guy & St. Thomas Hospital “You may get radiation cystitis symptoms for up to 15 years after pelvic radiotherapy. These include: Frequent or urgent need to pee, urinary incontinence…” LINK.

However, the radiation used in radiotherapy is far less powerful that the official radiation exposure recorded from Flt Lt Joe Pasquini’s personal film badge and personal QF dosimeter for Operation Grapple Zulu – Flagpole.

TOO MUCH INFORMATION?

No one ever thinks that they will write in a public blog about the functionality, or in this case nonfunctionality, of their husbands or fathers ‘nether bits’ - but here we are today.

The decision to do so is not quite so easy – but we feel it important to bring this subject matter (which yes could be TMI – Too Much Information for some) out into a public forum to allow others to express if they also had issues ‘down there’.

The decision to write about this in more detail was also spurred on by the fact that Flt Lt Joe Pasquini himself made reference to this issue in his book Curse of the Nuclear Cloud Flyer.

On page 153 he wrote:

“The incontinence stayed with me for many years, eventually culminating into a

full-blown case of bladder cancer that struck me decades after I left the military.”

NOT ENOUGH INFORMATION

What Flt Lt Joe Pasquini did not know when he wrote those words in 2020 is that RAF personnel involved in the British Nuclear Trials were being tested for Strontium-90, Iodine 131, and Tritium in their urine!!!

Of note:

• Iodine-131 “is a major concern in any kind of radiation release from a nuclear accident because it is volatile and because it is highly radioactive, having an 8-day half-life.” LINK

• Strontium-90 is a radioactive isotope of strontium produced by nuclear fission, with a half-life of 28.8 year and according to the authorities organizing the trials … a ‘bone seeker’ (see below)

• Tritium may sound familiar as in the past was used on the face of watches to make them glow in the dark. “It is not dangerous externally (its beta particles are unable to penetrate the skin), but it can be a radiation hazard if inhaled, ingested via food or water, or absorbed through the skin” LINK

Feb 19,1957

“The quantity of Stronium is dependent to some extent on the quantity ingested / inhaled from a practical point of view … The accepted rate of excreation by the kidney is 1% for the first week and then 0.1 % (Half life of 28 years)”

“Yes a considerable number of other isotopes are present. A few of the best are known as Caesium, Lanthanum, Zirconium and Barium ( Fission Products cover the Periodic Table from Atomic Weights 30 to 63.)”

“ The reason why Stronium is always quoted is that it is the most unpleasant both in half life and energy… “

“Yes Stronium is a bone seeker”

“The reason why so little work has been done is, I think, the lack of volunteers. Most published works are on animals. I will keep my ears open for any scraps of information"

• May 15, 1957 OPERATION GRAPPLE 1 | Malden Island – 300 kilotons of TNT

• May 31, 1957 OPERATION GRAPPLE 2 | Malden Island – 720 kilotons of TNT

• June 19, 1957 OPERATION GRAPPLE 3 | Malden Island – 200 kilotons of TNT

• November 8, 1957 OPERATION GRAPPLE X | Christmas Island – 1.8 megatons. First successful British thermonuclear bomb.

SIDE NOTE:

THE REDFERN REPORT ON THE SECRET REMOVAL OF TISSUE AND BODY PARTS FROM DECEASED UK NUCLEAR TEST VETERANS’…

“Some UK nuclear test veterans had for years been suspicious of the “flagging” of their documents and suspected that it was related to some scientific research possibly after their deaths and related to a programme known as MR185.”

“ The secret post mortems of deceased UK nuclear test veterans may well be the reason for such flagging.”

“The families of those subjected to post mortem and organ removal were unaware of it, and that where bone had been removed the Redfern inquiry discovered petty cash receipts for broomsticks that had been used to replace bone so that the body would look natural when laid out.”

“ In many cases so many organs had been removed that the next of kin were unwittingly burying just the shell of the deceased.”

“Obviously the removal of organs and bone from the workers and nuclear test veterans was to try and determine various questions related to ionizing radiation exposure of the deceased during the course of their nuclear duties.”

“The secrecy involved illustrates the fear of the nuclear power, nuclear weapons industry, and the political, military and scientific parties involved, of the public being more aware of the dangers to human health of radiation.” LINK

March 31st, 1958

Radiochemical Urinalysis

• A sample of up to six specimens taken as a check

• Monthly or quarterly according to exposure to radiation and findings

• While servicing of radioactively contaminated aircraft continues. This may continue for some years, or cease at end of current test series. Much depends on political climate.

• For I 131 usually, but possibly for Sr 90 upon occasion

• April 28, 1958 OPERATION GRAPPLE Y | Christmas Island – 3 megatons (officially) Largest yield from a British thermonuclear device

• August 22, 1958 OPERATION GRAPPLE Z1 | Christmas Island – 24 kilotons

• September 2, 1958 OPERATION GRAPPLE Z2 | Christmas Island – 1 megaton

• September 11, 1958 OPERATION GRAPPLE Z3 | Christmas Island – 800 kilotons

• September 23, 1958 OPERATION GRAPPLE Z4 | Christmas Island – 25 kilotons

October 27th, 1958

“Four urine samples dispatched from Christmas Island …. Following an incident on 22nd September were received on the evening of October 14th and analysed for tritium the following day…”

No words…

Conclusion

These documents show that urine samples were taken, Joe Pasquini had some of his medical records, what about the other 3 samples, where are they? Why does the MOD continue to deny that these records exist.

We need help to raise funds for our CrowdFunder, this is the only way the MOD will be forced to tell the truth, to release these records which they have held onto for 70 years, not releasing them to families and hiding the truth. If you can donate, please do so, but if you cannot donate, please share it across social media.

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