Lakenheath Air Force Hero Sqd Ldr Patrick ‘Pete’ Peters Receives Cold War Medal
Sqd Ldr Patrick ‘Pete’ Peters finally receives recognition for his Cold War service
Lakenheath, UK, Cold War, Sqd Ldr Patrick Peters, Nuclear Test Medal, Veteran
Pete flew high-altitude missions back in the day, flying RAF Canberras during Operation Bagpipes. This was a 1954 mission set up by Winston Churchill to keep an eye on American nuclear tests in the South Pacific. Pretty intense stuff!
As a young officer, he was one of the few tasked with taking photos to check out the fallout from those tests. It was part of a deal that let Britain keep some samples from the American bombs.
From a naval base in the Pacific, Pete tracked the clouds from three nuclear tests for over four hours. The first bomb didn’t go off as planned, but it still had a yield way bigger than the Hiroshima bomb. The other two were even more powerful!
After the tests, Pete worked with the ground crew to collect samples and send them back for analysis. He thinks he’s the last one left from that mission, and sadly, most of his buddies passed away from cancer.
Pete himself beat colon cancer but now deals with severe lung issues. He got some compensation from the Americans, but the UK only gave him a small pension for his ear problems.
When MP Nick Timothy got elected last year, he heard from Pete’s family that he hadn’t received a Nuclear Test medal despite his service. So, he pushed the Government to reconsider the medal criteria.
In September, the Government said they’d look into it, and by early November, Pete finally got his medal just in time for Remembrance Sunday.
Timothy visited Pete and his son to congratulate him. He emphasized how important it is to honor our veterans, no matter the politics. Big thanks to everyone who made this recognition possible!