Restricted ES Files - The Real Reason

As the community is aware, the ES and AB Files were removed from the National Archives many years ago for a 'Security Review', but despite many emails, FOI requests and complaints, the real reason for the sudden security review has never been established.

What is the real reason? Is it because it would show that the UK Government was fully aware of the risks to the personnel involved and the residual contamination?

This blog concentrates on one of the documents 'SCIENTIFIC DATA OBTAINED AT OPERATION HURRICANE' dated 27th August 1954, which was originally Top Secret and then downgraded and declassified for release.

However, a search at the National Archives for this document shows it is closed whilst access is under review:

Why are these documents so important and what are they hiding?

This report clearly states that the area in which a median lethal dose of gamma radiation is received may be increased by the contamination by a factor of 2 to 4 depending on the degree of screening afforded by buildings and the time taken to get out of a contaminated area.

Contamination - 405 days later on the Montebello Islands

405 days after the explosion, the islands were surveyed and the islands were found to be still highly radio-active. This was despite 16 inches of rain and a cyclone in early 1953. The report states that there was no apparent evidence of the accelerated delay of fission products due to weathering. In fact, the Montebello Islands are still contaminated to this day. Yet many men went into these areas with no protective clothing whatsoever, many just days after the detonation.

Who knew about this?

The scientists knew, the Admiralty knew, yet they continued to test, contaminating sacred lands, endangering men, and communities and forever changing the world.

Summary

The report concludes with a summary:

It concludes that:

"residual contamination due to the deposited fission products

provides a major contribution to the effect of a weapon detonated in this way"

Yet the UK Government still carried on with the testing program. These documents are not restricted because of security purposes, they are restricted because they tell the truth, they show that the scientists knew the damage they would cause, and they knew about the contamination and dangers to men, yet they carried on testing, putting thousands of men in the firing line, their families affected for generations.