Up to early 1998, Porton Down received a steady trickle of enquiries from ex-volunteers concerning the trials in which they had taken part, or the effect on their health. During this era responses gave outline details of studies in which people had been involved, but did not make full use of the information available in the Porton archive. In response to continuing concern, in February 1998 the Minister for the Armed Forces agreed to establish the Porton Down Volunteer Helpline. This regularised the existing arrangements for correspondence and established new principles of openness in dealing with individual ex-volunteers.
Porton Down RecordsThe Porton Down archive is often quite detailed, complex and technical although it is the case that historically, record keeping was not of the same quality as we would expect today. As far as can be determined, individual files were set up at Porton Down for each volunteer who came to the establishment. Many of the older files have since been destroyed although there are reasonably comprehensive records from 1942. For some volunteers, particularly in the period before 1942, the only record of their attendance at Porton Down is the laboratory notebooks of the time. There might also be contributory information on the nature of the actual experiments in the subsequent technical reports that were produced, although these would not normally contain the names of individual volunteers. All these sources are comprehensively researched by expert staff in order to advise former volunteers of the details of the trials in which they took part. Any information found can be either shown personally to volunteers, or copies made available.
Regrettably, individuals may have to accept that in some cases the old records are very sparse and that the record keeping of yesteryear may not be of the same high standards expected today.
Service Medical Records Every individual Serviceman or woman had, or has, a Service Medical Record. Prior to the late 1980s, the records of those attending Porton Down to take part in experiments were usually only marked to show that attendance had taken place and would not have included details of the trials which the volunteer took part in. In some cases, even attendance was not recorded. Anyone wishing to see their Service Medical Record should write to one of the addresses shown below under Contact Details.
What should you do now?If you wish to find out what experiments you were involved in at Porton Down, you should either contact the Porton Down Volunteer Helpline (0800 783 2521) or write to Porton Down at the address given under Contact Details.
They will need to know your full name, Service number and, if possible, the dates, or at least the approximate time, that you came to Porton Down. Staff will then write back to you with a summary of the records that they have been able to find. If you wish to follow up your inquiry, Porton Down can arrange for you to visit the establishment, accompanied by a friend, family member, legal adviser or other supporter, to view details of your own records. You will also have the opportunity, if you wish, to discuss the nature of the experiments in which you were involved with one of Porton Down's scientific experts.
Data Protection Act On 24 October 2001 the Data Protection Act came into force. In order to comply with the requirements of this Act staff at Porton Down will require you to complete a form to request details of your attendance as part of the Service Volunteer Programme and to provide proof of identification: this can be in the form of a passport, driving licence, birth certificate or utility bill. A photocopy of any of these will be sufficient but if you forward an original it will be returned to you. Click on the link on the right, which will take you to the request form mentioned above. This can be printed off, completed and sent (along with proof of identification) to DSTL.
Contact Details
For enquiries about Porton Down records:
Porton Down Volunteers Helpline
Building 106
DSTL Chemical and Biological Sciences
Porton Down
Salisbury
Wiltshire SP4 0JQ
Tel: 0800 783 2521
For enquiries about service medical records:
Royal Navy:
RN Service Leavers
Institute of Naval Medicine
Crescent Road
Gosport
Hants PO12 2DL
Tel: 023 9276 8063
Army:
Army Personnel Centre
Disclosure 3
Mailpoint 525, Kentigern House
65 Brown Street
Glasgow G2 8EX
Tel: 0845 600 9663
RAF:
Medical Casework
ACOS Manning 23
Room 1/Building 22
RAF High Wycombe
Bucks
HP14 4UE
Tel: 01494 49 ext. 7410