An air force veteran has finally been award a medal recognising his heroic service during the Cold War, thanks to the intervention of his MP.
Ninety-three-year-old Sqd Ldr Patrick ‘Pete’ Peters from Lakenheath, and his fellow airmen, flew RAF Canberras at high altitude during Operation Bagpipes, a 1954 mission ordered by Prime Minister Winston Churchill to monitor American nuclear bomb testing in the South Pacific.
As a young flying officer, Pete was one of a handful of men ordered to carry out photographic reconnaissance to test the fallout from American nuclear tests as part of a deal which would see Britain allowed to keep some of the fallout samples from the American weapons.
MP Nick Timothy with Sqdn Ldr Patrick Peters.
From the US Pacific naval base of Kwajalein Pete chased the clouds of three nuclear weapons, codenamed Koon, Yankee 2, and Nectar for more than four hours.
The first bomb failed, but still produced a yield nearly 10 times that of the one which destroyed Hiroshima. The other two produced a combined yield of 15 megatons, 1,000 times greater. Records show the planes reached heights of almost 50,000ft.
Later Pete also worked with ground crew to retrieve samples and instruments from the aircraft after tests, sending them back to Aldermaston for analysis.
He believes he is the last survivor of the mission, and said all his comrades died from cancer.
He survived colon cancer, but now has severe lung disease. He won compensation from the Americans, but Britain gave him only a small pension for perforated eardrums.
Shortly after being elected in July last year, West Suffolk Nick Timothy was told by Sqdn Ldr Peters’ family that the veteran had been refused a Nuclear Test medal despite his service.
Mr Timothy asked the Government to look at whether it would examine and amend the medal criteria.
In September, in an answer to his parliamentary question, Mr Timothy was told by the Government that Defence Secretary John Healey had directed the Ministry of Defence to look at the commemorative medal criteria, in consultation with other stakeholders.
And in early November Pete was awarded the medal just in time for Remembrance Sunday.
Mr Timothy visited the veteran and his son Gareth at his home on Friday to congratulate him and to convey his gratitude for his courageous service.
“The importance of honouring the sacrifice of our veterans transcends party politics. I thank Defence Secretary John Healey and Veterans’ Minister Al Carns for taking action to recognise Pete’s bravery and his colleagues who risked everything to protect our country,” said Mr Timothy.