Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Sapper G. H. Boothroyd, Royal Engineers, late Royal Artillery, who witnessed the testing of the British Hydrogen Bomb over Christmas Island, 8 November 1957

Korea 1950-53, 2nd issue (22351579 Gnr., R.A.); U.N. Korea 1950-54, unnamed; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Malaya, E.II.R. (22351579 Spr., R.E.) good very fine and better (3) £300-360

Gordon Hugh Boothroyd was born in Birkenhead, Cheshire, on 26 November 1931. Employed as a Deckhand, he enlisted into the Army as a National Serviceman at Oswestry on 13 April 1950. With the Royal Artillery, he served in Hong Kong, August 1950-October 1951 and Korea, November 1951-March 1952. In Korea he served with 14 Field Regiment R.A. Returning home, he re-enlisted on 5 May 1952 and was attached to the 18 Medium Regiment R.A. He re-enlisted in the Royal Engineers for 22 years on 2 February 1953. During the following years he served variously in Japan, Korea and Hong Kong. He also served on ‘Special Duty’ on Christmas Island, 25 May-21 November 1957. As such he was present on the island during ‘Operation Grapple X’, 8 November 1957, when Britain tested a 1.8 megaton hydrogen bomb - the bomb being air dropped with a high air burst over the ocean to the south of the island. He again served on Christmas Island, 26 September 1959-7 April 1960, following a further five nuclear tests in the ‘Grapple’ series. Attaining the rank of Corporal in May 1958, Boothroyd purchased his discharge in September 1962.

With copied service notes and extracts from the book, Just Testing, by Derek Robinson.