Exhibition Honours Nuclear Testing Veterans

Kiwi veterans who were exposed to nuclear radiation while witnessing British nuclear tests in the Pacific are honoured in an exhibition opening at Canterbury Museum on 13 May.

Operation Grapple: We Were There showcases portrait photos of 19 veterans of Operation Grapple, a series of British nuclear weapon tests in the 1950s near islands that are now part of Kiribati.

In witnessing the tests, these men were exposed to high levels of radiation and many have suffered ill health as a result.

Auckland photographer Denise Baynham spent 2 years travelling the country meeting, photographing and interviewing veterans of Operation Grapple.

Her portraits are presented alongside the veterans’ stories, told in their own words, in Operation Grapple: We Were There.

“Something about Operation Grapple touched a chord within me,” Baynham says.

“Growing up with a grandfather who served in World War Two and had been a prisoner of war, I know that sharing memories and keeping these stories alive means so much.

“The stories of nuclear testing veterans are incredibly sad. Particularly looking back, there are such common threads – infertility, miscarriages, stillbirths. They have all suffered such heartache, but they are all such incredible, amazing men and I felt a huge responsibility to tell their stories and to tell them accurately.”

In 1957 and 1958, the New Zealand Government sent navy ships and hundreds of sailors to support Operation Grapple. Some of the navy personnel were as young as 15.

Their duties included witnessing the detonation of the nuclear devices and collecting weather data as close as 37 kms to Ground Zero.

In later years, many of the veterans suffered from ill health. A Massey University study found the group had high levels of chromosome translocations – where fragments of chromosomes are broken off and attached to others, which can be the first step in the formation of cancer.

Canterbury Museum Acting Director Sarah Murray says the exhibition is a way for Cantabrians to learn about an often-overlooked event in New Zealand’s history.

“The experiences of these veterans are an important part of the story of New Zealand’s relationship with nuclear weapons,” Murray says.

“This exhibition is a great way to introduce people to their stories. Denise’s photos are a stunning tribute to the courage and dignity of these veterans.”

Operation Grapple: We Were There opens at Canterbury Museum on 13 May and runs until 16 October.

On Friday 13 May, photographer Denise Baynham will be joined by New Zealand Nuclear Testing Veterans' Association President Tere Tahi and Dr Al Rowland from the Institute of Molecular Biosciences at Massey University for a free public talk about Operation Grapple chaired by University of Canterbury Professor Katie Pickles.

Baynham will give a second talk focused on the photographic challenges of her project on Saturday 14 May. Places at both events can be reserved on the Canterbury Museum website.

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