Survivors gather at nuclear testing site

A group of Australian former servicemen who experienced British nuclear testing on the Montebello Islands were in town this month to mark the 60th anniversary and draw attention to their little-known cause.

Seventeen of the 180 members of the Australian Ex-Services Atomic Survivors Association visited Dampier to erect a plaque commemorating 60 years since the last of three explosions on the isolated Montebello Islands, about 20km north of Barrow Island.

The group spent the Wednesday and Thursday travelling by boat to the three detonation sites on the islands and installing the plaque, before meeting with the Pilbara Regiment, the Karratha RSL sub-branch members and City of Karratha representatives on the Friday.

Eight members of the group were at the Montebello Islands during or in the aftermath of the atomic blasts between 1952 and 1956, including a particularly powerful bomb exploded on Alpha Island.

Association secretary Jim Marlow, who witnessed one of the Montebello bombs go off firsthand, said while the scientists on site had worn “top-to-toe” protective clothing, the men on his crew were allowed to wear T-shirts, shorts and sandals to be “guinea pigs” for the effects of nuclear fallout on humans.

Association member Ray Whitby remembered what it was like to visit the islands months later, when he was part of a team sent to test the lingering effects.

“In 1958 when I went back … the only thing on the island was birds that were deformed,” he said. “There wasn’t a blade of grass or vegetation, it was completely devoid of anything like that,” he said.

“Towers had been built prior to the bombs’ explosion, cars were there, small trucks … that were in the explosion just completely devastated.

“You could have been on another planet. It was just unbelievable.”

Mr Whitby said many of his ship mates on the trip had died in their 30s “all riddled with cancer”, and other members had similar stories.

Mr Marlow said it had been a surreal experience returning for the first time since and seeing the after-effects.

“Of the island itself, there’s basically nothing left,” he said.

“There’s isolated mementoes … but there’s no buildings to speak of now. And if you didn’t know the background of it, you could almost pass through there without knowing.

“It’s quiet, it’s a peaceful part of the world. It’s a shame to see it sort of disappear.”

The group said they had thoroughly enjoyed their trip to the Pilbara and praised local RCR and Department of Parks and Wildlife staff for helping them erect the plaque.

Mr Whitby said the tour had been all about promoting recognition of military atomic survivors, whose cause had been downplayed by government.

“When the 60th anniversary was due, we thought this is probably our last time, our last final chance to get recognition if we can get people behind us … and get it out there,” he said.

“Otherwise it’s going to be too late for us.”

Mr Marlow said while he had found there was some awareness of military atomic testing in the Pilbara, it was still far from common knowledge.