A RAF veteran who was serving on Christmas Island when 25 nuclear bombs were tested has finally been awarded a medal after a 60-year wait for recognition.

Chas Hall, 84, served on the infamous Christmas Island between 1961 and 1962 and witnessed the testing of hydrogen bombs by the Government first hand.

Now, he has received a nuclear veteran medal after having to apply through the government’s eligibility service.

Recalling, the bomb tests, the Ashingdon resident admitted that he and other soldiers became numb to the sound of huge explosions.

“We’d sit on the beach, watch an H-bomb go off and have breakfast,” Mr Hall said. “Eventually it becomes boring.”

Echo:

Mr Hall and 300 other British forces witnessed 25 nuclear tests between 1961-62.

The veteran describes conditions on the island as “hot and dry,” with bomb testing usually occurring 18 to 22 miles away from Mr Hall and his fellow servicemen.

“Tests were done in the pitch-black dark, nothing like you see in a film,” Mr Hall said.

“The blast itself was silent, one big bang...like someone firing a double-barrelled shotgun behind you.”

Mr Hall recalls the pattern of constant testing “shattering the nerves” of soldiers. One soldier he served with retired from duty with a nervous disorder in 1961.

Following training as a wireless operator, he was sent to the infamous Christmas Island where he served in 1961 and 62.

The nuclear test medal which Mr Hall received comes after decades of campaigning from The Mirror and campaign groups, such as Labrats, for recognition of the long-term effects caused by testing and as compensation for the lack of information veterans have received.

Mr Hall claims to have received no communication from what he refers to as the “ministry of deceit” about compensation or even so much as an apology.

A fresh campaign has been launched for compensation, but Mr Hall admits he “doesn’t believe there will be results anytime soon”.

The long-term effects have hit Mr Hall too, with a tumour having to be removed in 2018, though it’s unsure if this was a direct result of radiation exposure.

Mr Hall’s daughter previously bought her father a commemorative medal commissioned by the Australian nuclear veteran’s association which Mr Hall said is “far better than the one delivered”.

In August, Mr Hall published a novel called “Facing Armageddon,” which is available online.