Dronfield Eye Issue 221 May 2024

dronfield EYE
The couple married in 1965 and moved to Dronfield
in 1968. Ted went on to become a teacher and
remained in that job until his retirement. He was
involved in the British Nuclear Test Veterans’
Association at the time he wrote his account.
More than 22,000 British servicemen participated in
the British and United States' nuclear tests and cleanups
between 1952 and 1965.
Ann said: “The powers that be, the observers and
scientists, had all sorts of protection against radiation
but the men, like Ted, didn’t.
“Many died in their 50s from cancers - a legacy
from the radiation they received. Shockingly, their
children too suffered ten times the normal number of
birth defects from the genetic damage caused to
their fathers by exposure to radiation. Genetic
changes continue to be passed down through
subsequent generations.”
Ann said Ted had a long-standing wound on his leg
which he attributed to the effects of radiation.
Ted died of vascular dementia, aged 83.
The Nuclear Test Medal features King Charles III on
the front and an atom surrounded by olive branches
on the rear. Its ribbon colours are white, yellow, black
and red, including a lighter blue for the sky and
ocean to represent the Pacific.
Another photograph showing Ted and colleagues and,
below, his hand-drawn map of Christmas Island
Dronfield’s Ann Cockbaine
pictured with the medal
awarded posthumously to
her late husband, Ted
Ted and Ann
enjoy a drink
together
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