Abstract: Nations that aspire to be great powers must have the atomic bomb. So, at least, believed British politicians of both parties in the aftermath of the Second World War. Despite austerity and a shortage of resources, a programme was set up to develop a British atomic bomb, and, when it became clear that this was no longer the ultimate deterrent, a hydrogen bomb (Gowing and Arnold 1974a, 1974b). The development of these weapons needed a test programme. This eventually involved over 20 000 men from all three Armed Forces and civilian scientists. During the 1950s, fission devices were, with the agreement of the Australian Government, tested in Australia and more powerful fusion devices around Christmas Island in the Pacific. Minor trials to investigate various aspects of weapons design and safety were also conducted in Australia. A full account of the British Weapons programme has been given by the nuclear historian, Lorna Arnold (2001, 2006) and a summary has been published in the Journal (Kendall et al 2004, Muirhead et al 2004).
While most individuals achieve the transition to civilian life smoothly, some face significant challenges. Although numerous support services are available to those who need them, …