Malden Island and Kiritimati (Christmas Island) were the small islands in the South Pacific, which now form the Republic of Kiribati, where Britain tested its next level of nuclear weapon, the Hydrogen Bomb. The series of tests there in 1957 and 1958 were codenamed Operation Grapple.

Kiritimati was part of what was then referred to as the Gilbert and Ellice Islands, a British colony until 1976. To prepare for and monitor the tests, the British utilised service personnel including National Servicemen and Fijian soldiers, with long term consequences. Many have fought a long campaign for recognition of what they experienced.

With contributions from nuclear test veterans including Doug Hern, who was a 21-year-old Royal Navy chef at the time, Fijian academic Talei Mangioni, members of the Kiribati Tungaru Association and journalist Susie Boniface.

Presented by Steve Purse,
Produced by Hannah Dean.
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4 Show less