More than 1,000 troops’ radiation exposure data was deliberately excluded from an official government study investigating their causes of death. Scientists omitted this information during a study on cancer rates among veterans who participated in nuclear bomb tests during the Cold War era.
The final report concluded that there was no link between these veterans’ deaths and the nuclear weapon trials, attributing any cancers to chance. However, an updated version of the research, released 70 years later, finally established a significant statistical association between serving at nuclear test sites and subsequent mortality.
Despite this, the study could not definitively establish a direct correlation between cancers and radiation exposure, raising concerns that a substantial number of documented radiation doses were initially removed from the study. Campaigners are now urging the Ministry of Defence to cease relying on this discredited study, which had its conclusions altered by officials.
Alan Owen from the advocacy group LABRATS expressed that veterans had always suspected the study’s inaccuracies and now have proof of its flawed methodology. They plan to address these concerns in a forthcoming meeting with Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the New Year.
The revelation stemmed from a summary of dose records, known as “the Blue Books,” held by the Atomic Weapons Establishment as state secrets. The Mirror obtained a copy after a prolonged Freedom of Information battle, revealing that in 1982, 14,290 servicemen participated in trials in Australia and the Pacific, with 6,053 having recorded radiation doses.
However, in 1985, when the government initiated a cancer and mortality study, 1,031 recorded doses were removed. Current official data states that 20,956 men participated, but only 5,423 doses were documented, leading to discrepancies in the number of veterans whose deaths were examined.
Former RAF technician John Folkes, who participated in atomic missions in Australia in 1956, shared his experience of radiation exposure during the operations. Despite having his radiation doses recorded, a significant portion of the data was excluded from the study.
Researchers justified the removal of doses as eliminating duplications, but questions remain regarding the nature of the excluded data. The Ministry of Defence defended the study’s integrity, attributing discrepancies to rigorous research methods and challenges in verifying medical records.
The MoD spokesperson clarified that the Blue Books served as a starting point for participant identification, with researchers conducting extensive verification processes to rectify errors and remove duplicates.