I am so glad Call the Midwife touches on various medical things in each series and brings into focus problems like the
thalidomide
babies back into mainstream media so they are not forgotten. And I am so glad they touched on the soldiers serving on Christmas Island in the late 50s/early 60s where nuclear weapons were tested, and the effects this had on the soldiers. This is because my grandad was in the RAF and actually served on Christmas Island. He had to sit on the beach with his back to the ocean when they tested each weapon with no protective clothing at all. He told me once what it was like, and to this day he can vividly recall what it was like. The heat from the blast was so hot, it dried the sweat that drenched his T-shirt so much that his shirt was bone-dry. My family is very lucky that we have had no serious health issues due to my grandad serving on the island, he and my nan had four children and none of them were effected by the radiation, unlike the babies referred to in episode 1 this evening. The men on Christmas Island always seem to be forgotten and the military never seemed to help them much at all. About ten years ago, my grandad and other Christmas Island veterans tried to at the least have a medal designed and given to the veterans of the Island. The idea was shot down and to this day, I bet most people in Britain will never have heard of Christmas Island. So, thank you Call the Midwife for bringing attention to the men who served on Christmas Island!