The Merlin Project
Introduction
This website is a powerful research and educational tool that allows greater access to thousands of files that make up the Merlin database. Included in this resource is the Nuclear Justice Community Archive that was created at The University of Liverpool.
The project team catalogued Merlin in a way that allowed us to build commentary and add additional keywords, which enhances public understanding of the Merlin database. The student team who carried out the cataloguing work completed a five-step training programme which involved training in ethics, history and archiving.
Our website uses Google Pinpoint software which harnesses AI to read the files and respond to search requests. The results of these search requests should be viewed as one step in the research process and should be checked with reference to other information and historical context.
Project Team
Dr Jon Hogg
Dr Helen Stalford
Susie Boniface
Dr Jonathan Hogg is Reader in History at The University of Liverpool. He specialises in the public history of the nuclear age and was Co-I on An Oral History of British Nuclear Test Veterans. He was PI on the Nuclear Justice Law Clinic project.
Professor Helen Stalford is Principal Convenor of the £5.8 million Centre for People’s Justice at The University of Liverpool, a ground-breaking new Research Centre that aims to change law and lives through community-led research. Helen is a leading expert in European Children's Rights and has worked on various projects with the Commission, the Fundamental Rights Agency, the Council of Europe and UNICEF.
Susie Boniface is an investigative journalist with over 20 years experience reporting on and researching nuclear test veteran campaigns. Her work uncovering secret government files relating to veterans led to the release of the Merlin database. Her book Exposed: The Secret History of Britain's Nuclear Experiments was published in 2024.
SJ Stroud
SJ Stroud is a Research Assistant on the Nuclear Justice Law Clinic Project and an undergraduate history student at The University of Liverpool.
Alan Owen
Co-Founder of LABRATS International, Alan is the son of James Ronald Owen, who served in Operation Dominic on Christmas Island in 196, witnessing 24 detonations over 78 days. Alan is a lead campaigner for all affected communities.
CENTRE FOR PEOPLES JUSTICE
The Centre for People’s Justice is a coalition of over 45 organisations from community, business, philanthropic, cultural, artistic, charitable, legal, government and university sectors. It is led by the University of Liverpool Law School and hosted jointly at the Universities of Glasgow, London, Sheffield, Swansea, Wrexham and Ulster.
Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, the Centre pursues change-making research that responds to the public’s need and desire for fairer, stronger and more inclusive societies. Its work seeks to connect the public more closely with the ways in which the law is made, improve accountability for how the law is put into practice, and enhance people’s understanding and use of their legal rights.
UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL
Located at the heart of a thrilling world city, we are a dynamic institution of academic excellence and innovation, making a positive impact across the United Kingdom and the wider world.
Since 1881, we've been at the forefront of world-class research and education, known for our cutting-edge facilities and relentless pursuit of excellence and achievement.
As a founding member of the Russell Group, research is the driving force behind our success, tackling real-world challenges to have a positive impact on society and the world around us.
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH WALES
The University is part of the UWTSD Group, a confederation of several institutions which includes Coleg Sir Gâr and Coleg Ceredigion as constituent colleges. August 2017 saw the integration of the University of Wales and the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. The UWTSD Group offers a continuum from further to higher education for the benefit of learners, employers and communities.
The University’s history began in 1822 with the founding of our Lampeter campus. It enjoys the accolade of being the birthplace of higher education in Wales. The University’s 1828 Royal Charter is the oldest of any university in Wales.
Today, UWTSD is a dynamic institution with campuses Swansea, Carmarthen, Lampeter, Cardiff, London, and Birmingham.
LABRATS INTERNATIONAL CIC
LABRATS International is one of the leading organisations representing Nuclear Test Veterans, Atomic Veterans, descendants, indigenous communities, scientists, civilians and families affected by British Nuclear Testing and nuclear weapons test programmes around the world.
Our mission is to preserve the legacy of those who served, worked and lived alongside nuclear testing operations, ensuring their stories, sacrifices and experiences are never forgotten. Through education, advocacy, research, community engagement and public awareness campaigns, we provide support and recognition for individuals and families impacted by historic nuclear testing programmes.
As a global community, we bring together Nuclear Test Veterans, Atomic Veterans, families, researchers, educators and supporters from across the world, united by a shared commitment to remembrance, recognition, education and support for all those affected by nuclear testing.
Advisory Board
Professor Chris Hill
Professor Chris Hill is a historian working at the University of South Wales. He specialises in environmental history, imperial history and the history of science and technology. His research, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), has explored the multifaceted role of imperialism across the cycle of nuclear development in Britain, from uranium extraction in Namibia and South Africa to nuclear weapons tests in Australia and the Pacific. Chris was Principal Investigator for the Office for Veterans’ Affairs project: An Oral History of British Nuclear Test Veterans. His next book, Radiant Empire: Namibian Uranium and Nuclear Britain, is contracted to Stanford University Press.
Professor Kay O'Halloran
Professor Kay O'Halloran is Chair Professor and Head of Department of Communication and Media in the School of the Arts, The University of Liverpool. She is also Co-Director of the Digital Media and Society Institute (DMSI). Kay is an internationally recognized leading academic in the field of multimodal analysis, involving the study of the interaction of language with other resources in texts, interactions and events.
Dr Konstanin Vikhorev
Dr Konstanin Vikhorev is Chief Technology Officer at the Virtual Engineering Centre (VEC) and Director of Centre for Digital Heritage (CDH) at The University of Liverpool.