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Mr Ian Foulkes
Former Ministry of Defence
United Kingdom
Ian Foulkes began his military career on September 9, 1980, when he joined the Army at the Army Apprentices College in Harrogate as part of the Royal Signals. Over the course of nearly two decades, he served in a variety of roles and units until his discharge in April 1999.
While serving with 28 (BR) Signal Regiment, he attended CDE Porton Down as a "human observer" and was exposed to GB nerve agent (Sarin) in December 1983. This experience later led him to become an NBC (Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical) Instructor. In this capacity, he trained senior NCOs and Warrant Officers of the Intelligence Battalion for their annual training while stationed at HQ Land Command (Wilton). His expertise was particularly well received, with the Regimental Sergeant Major remarking in a thank-you letter that, in 25 years of service, it was the first time he had received NBC training that truly made sense.
Following his military career, Foulkes transitioned into civilian roles, working as a Technical Training Instructor at Nortel Networks until being made redundant. In 2002, he took a new direction and pursued higher education, earning a Master’s degree from the University of Greenwich in 2003. From 2005 to 2009, he worked at the Royal Signals Museum, leaving due to concerns over mismanagement. He then took up a role with CESO CTLB in the Ministry of Defence from 2009 until his medical retirement in 2013.
During this time, he became actively involved with the Porton Down Veterans Support Group, led by the late Ken Earl. The group successfully campaigned for the reopening of the inquest into the death of Ronald Maddison. To support the group’s efforts, Foulkes undertook a protest walk from Porton Down to Downing Street to raise funds and deliver a petition calling for a public inquiry into the experiments conducted at Porton Down.
Since his retirement, Foulkes has dedicated himself to campaigning for recognition of the unique service provided by veterans in the defence of the country. His mission is to raise awareness of the devastating impact of chemical and biological weapons and to advocate for a medal honouring those who participated in these critical but often overlooked trials.
While serving with 28 (BR) Signal Regiment, he attended CDE Porton Down as a "human observer" and was exposed to GB nerve agent (Sarin) in December 1983. This experience later led him to become an NBC (Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical) Instructor. In this capacity, he trained senior NCOs and Warrant Officers of the Intelligence Battalion for their annual training while stationed at HQ Land Command (Wilton). His expertise was particularly well received, with the Regimental Sergeant Major remarking in a thank-you letter that, in 25 years of service, it was the first time he had received NBC training that truly made sense.
Following his military career, Foulkes transitioned into civilian roles, working as a Technical Training Instructor at Nortel Networks until being made redundant. In 2002, he took a new direction and pursued higher education, earning a Master’s degree from the University of Greenwich in 2003. From 2005 to 2009, he worked at the Royal Signals Museum, leaving due to concerns over mismanagement. He then took up a role with CESO CTLB in the Ministry of Defence from 2009 until his medical retirement in 2013.
During this time, he became actively involved with the Porton Down Veterans Support Group, led by the late Ken Earl. The group successfully campaigned for the reopening of the inquest into the death of Ronald Maddison. To support the group’s efforts, Foulkes undertook a protest walk from Porton Down to Downing Street to raise funds and deliver a petition calling for a public inquiry into the experiments conducted at Porton Down.
Since his retirement, Foulkes has dedicated himself to campaigning for recognition of the unique service provided by veterans in the defence of the country. His mission is to raise awareness of the devastating impact of chemical and biological weapons and to advocate for a medal honouring those who participated in these critical but often overlooked trials.
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