Our father was a RAF copper who died from Acute Monocytic Leukaemia back in 1959 which came on very suddenly. He died leaving 6 kids and my mother, I was the youngest at 4 mths, the eldest 8. Our mother applied for a WWP but was knocked back. Reapplied the following year and knocked back again. Got on with life bringing us all up. Fast forward to 2000 and she applied for a review of the 1959 decision after her case was taken up by her MP Nicholas Winterton..
To quote from a letter from the MOD regarding the matter…’Since the decision in 1959 there has been an expansion of research into the aetiology of the condition Leukaemia which can now be attributable to service because of environmental factors’ The legislation regarding claim was changed in April 1997 limiting the timescale for which claims could be backdated…ie only until 1997.
To add insult to injury the letter further stated ‘ ….because medical opinion regarding the aetiology of Leukaemia was evolving in the 1970’s , had Mrs ,,,,,,, applied for a review around that time it is likely she would have been awarded a WWP’. Instead, our mother trained as a nurse and got on with her life.
In my eyes the letter and eventual awarding of a WWP amounts to an admission of guilt on the MOD’s behalf.