John Simes was born in Hastings, East Sussex, in 1936. His father worked as a foreman and technical college lecturer. Simes obtained an apprenticeship at Eastleigh Locomotive Works after leaving school at the age of 15. Upon being called up for National Service Simes joined the Royal Engineers, and following his training was posted to Christmas Island for Operation Grapple. During the nuclear tests between May and November 1958, Simes was attached to the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment, and he visited Ground Zero following the Grapple Z2 detonation. At the end of his National Service, Simes left the military and went on to work as a project manager at Eastleigh Railway Works until his retirement. Simes has been a member of both the British Nuclear Test Veterans Association and LABRATS (Legacy of the Atomic Bomb, Recognition for Atomic Test Survivors). He currently lives with his wife in Marchwood, Southampton. They have two sons.
Interview extracts
Description
John Simes was posted to Christmas Island as part of Operation Grapple in 1958 and was initially in the Royal Engineers. He then became attached to the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment (AWRE) and visited Ground Zero following the Grapple Z2 detonation. For Simes, as this clip shows, receiving the Nuclear Test Medal is not as important as finding out more information about the levels of radiation he and his fellow servicemen were exposed to. Simes has been a member of both the British Nuclear Test Veterans Association (BNTVA) and LABRATS (Legacy of the Atomic Bomb, Recognition for Atomic Test Survivors).
The photograph illustrating this clip shows Ken McGinley, founder of the BNTVA, surrounded by documents and files in his fight for justice on behalf of British nuclear test veterans.
This is a short extract from an in-depth interview. John Simes was recorded for the Oral History of British Nuclear Test Veterans project in 2024. The interviewer was Fiona Bowler. The project was run in partnership with National Life Stories and the full interview can be accessed at the British Library.
Transcript
I probably wouldn’t have gone for a medal in the first place, but it seemed to be, LABRATS seemed to be obsessed with it. [laughs]
So how did you feel when it arrived?
Well, I just put it over there, it’ll still be in there now. What I would like to know is the truth. The medal doesn’t tell us the truth. The truth has been covered up, in my opinion, and that’s the bit I would love to know. You’ve only got to go, read all this tribunal stuff in it, there’s so many variations on the evidence being given that it’s quite disturbing really. So there we are.
So in terms of recognition, from the government, you want to know the truth
Well, it would be nice to know the truth. I mean it’s a fact that all these politicians that we’ve got, I mean from way back, they’re all convinced, they stand up and say all the precautions were taken. Well no, they were not taken. I don’t know, I can’t talk about Australia, I don’t know, but I can talk about Christmas Island. Because none of these people that say all these precautions were taken were there. And if you’re involved as I was, going down all over the island, we know.
[ends at 0:01:26]
Ken McGinley. Photo © Alan Rimmer, used with permission. Photo © Alan Rimmer, used with permission.
Description
John Simes tells a story about a chance encounter with somebody who worked for the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment (AWRE), and their comments on his health. While on Christmas Island, Simes assisted the AWRE in tasks such as setting up measuring equipment and building towers. In his life story interview, he speaks about AWRE scientists joking about his future fertility.
This is a short extract from an in-depth interview. John Simes was recorded for the Oral History of British Nuclear Test Veterans project in 2024. The interviewer was Fiona Bowler. The project was run in partnership with National Life Stories and the full interview can be accessed at the British Library.
Transcript
2000, it was. 2000, and we went to, I found this memorabilia, military memorabilia place. And I was talking to the owner, and he was in the Royal Engineers, and we were swapping stories and he was telling me what he did and everything else, then I told him about Christmas Island. And there was a little fellow standing very close, and after I’d finished, he said, ‘Ooh’ he said, ‘I’m sorry, but I couldn’t help overhearing your conversation’. And he said, ‘I worked with the AWRE’. And then he turned round to me and said, ‘I’m surprised you’re still here’. But then he started on about he worked with William Penney, and then he started telling me about the tins they used to, they used to do experiments on toothpaste tubes and tins and they could calculate whatever they did, so he must have been fairly close to William Penney, I suppose, or Lord Penney at the time. He explained how they calculated blast with it. Not that I, you know, knew too much about that. But then Daphne came along, we'll go off for lunch, she said. And I didn’t have chance, I should have, I should have questioned him.
[ends at 0:01:30]
