Britain's nuclear heroes are furious the medal Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised them may not be delivered before Remembrance Sunday.
Survivors of the Cold War radiation experiments - who have an average age of 85 - are threatening to make the betrayal public when they march past the Cenotaph.
John Morris, 85, of Rochdale, said: “For 70 years we’ve had no medal, and if we don’t have one this year we’re going to kick up a fuss. It’s imperative, or it means every promise they made us is worthless. If Sunak can’t even sort out a gong inside 12 months, what hope has he got of fixing anything else.”
Veterans of the nuclear tests waged a long fight for official recognition, at the same time as battling a horrific legacy of cancers, rare blood disorders, miscarriages and birth defects for their families.
The Mirror took campaigners to meet Prime Minister Boris Johnson in June last year, and Sunak asked the King to approve the gong within a month of taking office last autumn.
Applications did not open until March, and since then 1,528 people have logged a claim for a medal - more than 1,000 of them surviving veterans. They have all received letters promising them it will be delivered by “late summer”.
The Office of Veterans’ Affairs has now said the design has not been approved, and the date has been pushed back to “the second half of the year” with production not starting until after the summer break. A Cabinet Office source said the King had yet to sign off on the medal, while a Buckingham Palace spokesman said it was "a matter for the MoD".
Campaigner Alan Owen said: “The government has taken its foot off the gas, and don’t seem to realise that we’re losing veterans every day. Any delay is a betrayal of all the promises they’ve made.” Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer said on Twitter: “I’m determined they will see their medals as soon as we possibly can, but look, we keep going."
A government spokesman refused to commit to a date for the medal, but added: “We are firmly committed to recognising their service by awarding the Nuclear Test Medal as soon as possible.”
The gong can be claimed posthumously by relatives of civilians, scientists, servicemen, or local employees under UK command at the nuclear tests held between 1952 and 1967 at Monte Bello, Emu Field, or Maralinga in Australia, or at Christmas Island or Malden Island in Kiribati.
High Commissioners in those places have been informed, but no public information campaigns have been launched to let locals know they have a right to the medal.
* For a medal form, contact campaign group LABRATS on 020 3286 3988
