RAF hero receiving medical care at home as he fights MoD for medal

The sole subsister of a Cold War ngo into the bosom of atomic clouds is being supported astatine location arsenic helium battles the MoD for the medal his comrades person been denied for 70 years

The past leader of Operation Bagpipes is warring against the imaginable of Remembrance Sunday without the honour helium has waited 70 years for.

Squadron Leader ‘Pete’ Peters is present receiving supportive attraction astatine home, 3 months aft he launched a past battle for his comrades to person the atomic trial medal.

“There are lone 17 days near until Remembrance and close this unspeakable wrong,” helium said. “They tin bash it speedy capable if they bloody good privation to. I americium asking not for myself but connected behalf of those who died.

“But if they don’t hurry it up, there’ll beryllium no-one near to retrieve what it was for.”

The atomic trial medal was awarded to veterans of Britain’s atomic investigating successful 2023 aft a five-year run by the Mirror, which has fought for designation of these forgotten veterans since the 1980s.

But successful a petty determination by the Ministry of Defence that was blamed connected a 'Tory turf war' betwixt ministers, it intentionally near retired hundreds of men who flew horrifying missions done the mushroom clouds of different nations.

Pete, 92, of Lakenheath, is the past antheral lasting from a tiny portion despatched to alert sorties done a bid of monolithic American H-bombs.

It was codenamed Operation Bagpipes, and was amerciable astatine the clip arsenic the US had legislated to support its atomic secrets to itself.

But lone the RAF had the planes capable to alert precocious capable to instrumentality samples, and 4 Canberra bombers from 1323 Flight and 540 Squadron were sent to Bikini successful the Pacific.

One disappeared successful a thunderstorm and its unit ne'er found. Another clang landed, but had to beryllium towed retired to oversea and sunk truthful no-one knew the RAF was involved.

All of Pete’s comrades person died from cancer, which helium unsocial managed to survive. He present has degenerative lung disease, and progressively relies connected oxygen to breathe. Blood tests that were taken from him during the weapons programme person gone missing from his aesculapian file.

His lad Gareth said: “My begetter took utmost risks successful work of his state and the antheral successful complaint of our weaponry programme confirmed, successful writing, that the samples collected helped make our ain atomic deterrent.

“That these men were near retired archetypal clip astir is atrocious enough, but if they neglect to get medal to my begetter successful clip for him to deterioration it astatine the colony remembrance work it volition beryllium an insult to him and his comrades.”

The MoD has been fixed accusation that astatine slightest 7 different squadrons of Canberras, Valiants, Vulcans and Hastings craft flew akin risky missions. They entered the mushroom clouds of French, Chinese, and Soviet weapons tests to stitchery quality captious to our ain weapons programme, arsenic good arsenic to measure those of different nations.

After we reported Sqn Ldr Peters' astonishing story, Defence Secretary John Healey ordered a reappraisal of the medal criteria, arsenic helium had promised successful Opposition.

But though the veteran's MP and others person repeatedly asked astir the day of immoderate decision, Labour has refused to springiness one, saying lone that it is nether review.

Instead, Veterans Minister Al Carns told Parliament past week helium is consulting the Foreign Office and Cabinet Office, with a determination needing to beryllium approved by the honours committee and His Majesty the King.

Sqn Ldr Peters has adjacent been written to by the Defence Services Secretary, the apical subject liaison betwixt the King and government, but was disappointed erstwhile again nary day for a determination was given.

Remembrance Sunday this twelvemonth falls connected November 10 - conscionable 17 days away.