Facing Armageddon: With the RAF on Christmas Island 1961–1962
Chas Hall
Oct 2023 · Grub Street Publishing
Ebook
208
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About this ebook
"...a worthy addition to a little-known aspect of British military history." — Flypast After being called up for National Service in July 1960, twenty-year-old Chas Hall joined the RAF and signed on to extend his time for an extra three years becoming a regular serviceman. Following initial training, he became a wireless operator and served at RAF Mildenhall. It was shortly after this that he got his first foreign posting in late 1961 to Christmas Island. It was on this island, that Chas encountered the horrors of nuclear testing. In an operation codenamed ‘Brigadoon’ by the British government and ‘Dominic’ by the Americans, Chas experienced 25 atmospheric nuclear tests. This he describes as his ‘12-month sentence’ alongside over 300 British and 10,000 American servicemen who were posted to one corner of a remote coral island. Facing Armageddon reveals the true extent of the controversial nuclear testing and how it affected servicemen; with 25 men dying during Chas’s time on Christmas Island and many more suffering mentally as they continued serving on the island. With the British government announcing medals for nuclear test veterans in November 2022 to recognize their contribution in the tests after a four-year campaign by participants and The Mirror newspaper, Chas’s story gives insight to why these servicemen deserve the recognition for their part in these tests. This book will contain a number of unpublished photos from the author’s personal collection and is an essential piece of work in understanding the tough conditions servicemen faced during their time on Christmas Island.
About the author
Born in London, Chas Hall lives in rural Essex, UK with his wife Jacqueline. Since retiring from his motorhome business, and apart from playing boogie-woogie piano, he has found a penchant for writing. Chas has published three fast-moving thrillers and a western trilogy. Facing Armageddon is his first non-fiction piece of work. Over the years, he has occasionally given after-dinner talks on his nuclear experiences.
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