David Taunt was born in Oxford in 1942. In his early years he had two main aspirations, to join the Navy or to become a rally driver. At the age of 15, Taunt joined the Navy after being inspired to do so by his uncle. Taunt’s first posting was onboard HMS Puma, where he assisted civilians in evacuating from a volcanic eruption. After this, Taunt was sent to Christmas Island to participate in the joint US-UK nuclear testing operation, Operation Dominic. During his time on Christmas Island, Taunt ran the Christmas Island Broadcasting Service. In his later life he built relationships with I-Kiribati people living on Christmas Island and assisted in the erection of a memorial to the tests on Christmas Island. After Christmas Island, Taunt remained in the Navy and worked on a minesweeper. He later went on to open his own rally school. In later life Taunt began to face health issues and this led to him joining the British Nuclear Test Veterans Association (BNTVA). As he served in a joint US-UK nuclear testing operation Taunt has been able to claim monetary compensation from the USA through the RECA (Radiation Exposure Compensation Act) scheme.
Interview extracts
Description
David Taunt was sent to Christmas Island to participate in the joint US-UK nuclear testing operation Operation Dominic in 1962. During his time on the island he ran the Christmas Island Broadcasting Service. In this clip, Taunt talks about the way the Nuclear Test Medal was awarded and describes how its arrival in the post has caused anger amongst veterans. In later life he began to face health issues and this led to his involvement with the British Nuclear Test Veterans Association (BNTVA). Due to Taunt’s service for a joint US-UK nuclear testing operation, he has been able to claim monetary compensation from the USA through the RECA (Radiation Exposure Compensation Act) scheme.
This is a short extract from an in-depth interview. David Taunt was interviewed for the Oral History of British Nuclear Test Veterans project in 2024. The interviewer was Christopher R Hill. The project was run in partnership with National Life Stories and the full interview can be accessed at the British Library.
Transcript
My thoughts on it, my personal – and they are my very personal thoughts – some would agree and some would totally disagree. The fight that we’re having to put up to get recognition, despite – what sort of recognition is irrelevant – but to have to basically crawl on bended knee and beg for a medal, 65 years down the line after the issues, it really… Had they given us a medal and thought, referred to us as heroes, as we are [laughs], of course, you know, within a couple of years or so of all this happening to us, I could have accepted it, I would have been very, very proud, but the fact that we’ve had to beg on bended knees, you know, it, it loses its value to me. And I think one of the reasons for me standing down as vice chair, over and above the medical issues, which were the main reason, was because of those thoughts. And being so involved with the guys that were suffering, as I am, in some cases worse than me, for the British test, and for the American test. It has, I’ve been talking quite a lot about this to my wife and to my doctor, I’m suffering mentally, I think, over all this because I know too much. And the ideas, as I say, of having to wait and have to, you know, beg for a medal. It’s nice to be awarded a medal, but to have to go and beg for it, it loses its value to me.
[ends at 0:01:59]
