"We were used as live guinea pigs," is how Ray Whitby describes his time on Alpha Island, off northern Western Australia, after Britain completed nuclear weapons testing in September 1956.
The then 19-year-old sailor had been aboard HMAS Fremantle and was wearing shorts and sandals when he was exposed to radiation.
"There is no excuse whatsoever," he told reporters on Thursday.
"I think we all joined the service to serve our country, to do our part."
His son, Reece, is the Labor member for Baldivis and made a grievance in parliament on behalf of the Australian Ex-Services Atomic Survivors Association.
Mr Whitby said while most British nuclear testing veterans received full health benefits under the Gold Card, a small group were treated as "second class veterans" because their exposure on or near the Montebello Islands occurred 85 days outside the October 1952 to June 1958 timeline.
"God help you if you were exposed outside this period," he told parliament.
"A formerly secret Navy report from 1959 shows readings at Trimouille Island had radiation of between four to 14 mR. On Alpha, it was 2000 per second.
"Over the years, these men have witnessed so many of their colleagues dying of cancer at an early age and wives miscarrying."
Mr Whitby said when HMAS Fremantle was decommissioned, the crew transferred to the Diamantina, which returned to the islands in September 1959, but monitoring on that occasion was conducted from the ship.
Diamantina also visited the islands in 1961 and 1962.
"Because these visits occurred outside of that arbitrary time period, the men on board are not entitled to the benefits given to other nuclear test veterans," Mr Whitby said.
"The Australian Ex-Services Atomic Veterans Association has long fought for all atomic veterans to be treated the same, yet every year, more of their members pass away without justice," he said.
About 25 men who served on HMAS Fremantle and Diamantina are estimated to still be alive.
"This is not an issue of the past. It is an issue of today," Mr Whitby said.
WA Premier Mark McGowan, who previously served with the Navy, also offered his support on the issue.
