The Ministry of Supply (MoS) was a department of the

UK government ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd , image = HM Government logo.svg , image_size = 220px , image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg , image_size2 = 180px , caption = Royal Arms , date_est ...

formed in 1939 to co-ordinate the supply of equipment to all three British armed forces, headed by the

Minister of Supply The Minister of Supply was the minister in the British Government responsible for the Ministry of Supply, which existed to co-ordinate the supply of equipment to the national armed forces. The position was campaigned for by many sceptics of the for ...

. A separate ministry, however, was responsible for aircraft production, and the

Admiralty Admiralty most often refers to: *Admiralty, Hong Kong *Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964 *The rank of admiral *Admiralty law Admiralty can also refer to: Buildings * Admiralty, Traf ...

retained responsibilities for supplying the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...

.Hornby (1958) During the war years the MoS was based at

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in The

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, London. The Ministry of Supply also took over all army research establishments in 1939. The

Ministry of Aircraft Production Ministry may refer to: Government * Ministry (collective executive), the complete body of government ministers under the leadership of a prime minister * Ministry (government department), a department of a government Religion * Christian ...

was abolished in 1946, and the MoS took over its responsibilities for aircraft, including the associated research establishments. In the same year, it also took on increased responsibilities for

atomic weapons A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions ( thermonuclear bomb), producing a nuclear explosion. Both bom ...

, including the H-bomb development programme. The Ministry of Supply was abolished in late 1959 and its responsibilities passed to the

Ministry of Aviation The Ministry of Aviation was a department of the United Kingdom government established in 1959. Its responsibilities included the regulation of civil aviation and the supply of military aircraft, which it took on from the Ministry of Supply. ...

, the

War Office The War Office was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the new Ministry of Defence (MoD). This article contains text from ...

, and the

Air Ministry The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the Secretary of Stat ...

. The latter two ministries were subsequently merged with the Admiralty to form the

Ministry of Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in state ...

. The Ministry of Supply instigated the

Rainbow Codes The Rainbow Codes were a series of code names used to disguise the nature of various British military research projects. They were mainly used by the Ministry of Supply from the end of the Second World War until 1958, when the ministry was broke ...

designation system. This assigned projects a two-word codename, the first word being a colour and the second a noun. As a result, secret weapon projects—including numerous nuclear weapons—were given lighthearted names such as Green Cheese,

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or Red Duster.

Second World War

Royal Ordnance Factories

The Ministry of Supply was responsible for building and running the Royal Ordnance Factories, which produced explosives and propellants, filled ammunition, and constructed guns and rifles. However, the Ministry of Works and/or private building contractors acted as agents during their construction. The ministry was also responsible for the supply of

tank A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful ...

s and other armoured fighting vehicles. W. A. Robotham of

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was appointed chief engineer of tank design in the ministry in November 1941. He went on the 1942 tank mission to America. Most of the technicians in the Department of Tank Design in Ivy Bridge House had been recruited at the start of hostilities, and few had the experience to advise the industry design teams. They were spread over an "immense number" of projects, and lacked clear directives from the War Office general staff, so had no clear conception of their requirements. The answer in the ministry to reports of problems was to "shoot the messenger". Industry outsiders Robotham was dealing with had the attitude that he would be "gone tomorrow", so he resigned in August 1943. He thought (which turned out to be true) that any improvements would not reach the firing line before the end of the war. Edward Brisch worked in the Department of Tank Design from 1942. Tanks were designed and built by private arms, engineering, and manufacturing companies, e.g. the

Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company The Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company (BRC&W) was a railway locomotive and carriage builder, founded in Birmingham, England and, for most of its existence, located at nearby Smethwick, with the factory divided by the boundary ...

English Electric N.º UIC: 9094 110 1449-3 (Takargo Rail) The English Electric Company Limited (EE) was a British industrial manufacturer formed after the Armistice of 11 November 1918, armistice of World War I by amalgamating five businesses which, during th ...

in their Stafford Works, Leyland Motors, Nuffield Mechanizations,

Vauxhall Motors Vauxhall Motors LimitedCompany No. 00135767. Incorporated 12 May 1914, name changed from Vauxhall Motors Limited to General Motors UK Limited on 16 April 2008, reverted to Vauxhall Motors Limited on 18 September 2017. () is a British car compa ...

, and

Vickers-Armstrongs Vickers-Armstrongs Limited was a British engineering conglomerate formed by the merger of the assets of Vickers Limited and Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Company in 1927. The majority of the company was nationalised in the 1960s and 1970s, w ...

Agency factories

The Ministry of Supply also arranged for the construction of a large number of "agency factories", which were run on its behalf by private companies, such as Nobel Industries. These were similar to the Royal Ordnance Factories, but were not part of that organisation.

Ministry of Supply factories

Labour supply

The Ministry of Supply was also responsible for the labour force of these factories, although the

Ministry of Labour The Ministry of Labour ('' UK''), or Labor ('' US''), also known as the Department of Labour, or Labor, is a government department responsible for setting labour standards, labour dispute mechanisms, employment, workforce participation, training, a ...

did the recruitment. From the middle of the war onwards, the Ministry of Supply was in direct competition with the

for labour and the two organisations had to reach agreement. Towards the end of the war, the Ministry of Supply released labour so that they could transfer to the Ministry of Aircraft Production.

Research establishments

From the beginning of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, the army research establishments were put under the control of the Ministry of Supply. Through the MoS, the essential connections were made between military requirements and the scientists and engineers of the civil service, industry, and academia (many academics were recruited into the civil service on a temporary basis). Examples include: * The Experimental Bridging Establishment, Christchurch (later to become part of MEXE) * The Experimental Demolition Establishment, Christchurch from 1942 (later to become part of MEXE) * The Experimental Tunnelling Establishment, Christchurch from 1942 * The Fighting Vehicles Proving Establishment (FVPE), Chertsey * The Projectile Development Establishment at Fort Halstead (moved to

Aberporth Aberporth is a seaside village, community and electoral ward in Ceredigion, Wales. The population at the 2001 Census, was 2,485, of whom 49 per cent could speak the Welsh language. At the 2011 Census, the population of the community was 2,374 ...

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, in 1940 where it remained until 1945) * The

Telecommunications Research Establishment The Telecommunications Research Establishment (TRE) was the main United Kingdom research and development organization for radio navigation, radar, infra-red detection for heat seeking missiles, and related work for the Royal Air Force (RAF) ...

in Malvern, critical in the development of radar * The Wheeled Vehicle Experimental Establishment (WVEE), Farnborough 1942, then Chertsey from 1943 Moreover, the Dutch Defence Chemical Laboratory escaped the German occupation of the Netherlands. On 14 May 1940 archives and key personnel were moved to London. The 'Centraal Laboratorium, afdeling Londen' (Central Laboratory, London department) was established and fell under the supervision of the Dutch authorities on the one hand, and on the other hand under the Ministry of Supply which provided housing and materials.

Postwar Ministry of Supply

Expansion of scope

Following the Second World War, the postwar MoS was created on 1 April 1946 as a result of the amalgamation of the former Ministry of Supply and the Ministry of Aircraft Production. The functions and responsibilities of the new department remained basically the same as its predecessors.

Atomic weapons

Later in the same year, the MoS took over the responsibility for atomic weapons research. Lord Portal was appointed as Controller of Production (Atomic Energy); and in 1950 the High Explosive Research Establishment at Fort Halstead was renamed the

Atomic Weapons Research Establishment The Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) is a United Kingdom Ministry of Defence research facility responsible for the design, manufacture and support of warheads for the UK's nuclear weapons. It is the successor to the Atomic Weapons Research ...

(AWRE), with

William Penney William George Penney, Baron Penney, (24 June 19093 March 1991) was an English mathematician and professor of mathematical physics at the Imperial College London and later the rector of Imperial College London. He had a leading role in the ...

as its first Director.Arnold (2001), Chapter 4: ''What Must Britain Do?'' The atomic energy research function was relinquished in 1954 when the

United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority is a UK government research organisation responsible for the development of fusion energy. It is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy ...

was set up, although the Ministry of Supply retained responsibility for the control of atomic weapons. The AWRE moved from Fort Halstead to Aldermaston in 1955.

Postwar research establishments

Immediately after the war, aviation research establishments joined the army ones under MoS control, and further new research establishments were developed during the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because t ...

era. Among the MoS research establishments (in addition to HERE and AWRE mentioned above) were : * The

Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment The Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) was a research facility for British military aviation from 1918 to 1992. Established at Martlesham Heath, Suffolk, the unit moved in 1939 to Boscombe Down, Wiltshire, where its work ...

(AAEE) at Boscombe Down from 1945 * The Clothing and Stores Trials Establishment (CSTE) was formed in 1948 at West Byfleet * The Clothing and Equipment Physiological Research Establishment (CEPRE) was formed in 1948 at Farnborough * The Clothing and Stores Experimental Establishment (CSEE) was formed in 1955 at West Byfleet by merging the CSTE and CEPRE * The Explosives Research & Development Establishment (ERDE) was formed in 1945 at

Waltham Abbey Waltham Abbey is a town and civil parish in the Epping Forest District of Essex, within the metropolitan and urban area of London, England, north-east of Charing Cross. It lies on the Greenwich Meridian, between the River Lea in the west and ...

* The Fighting Vehicle Research and Development Establishment (FVRDE) at Chertsey, formed in 1952 from the Wheeled Vehicle Experimental Establishment and the Fighting Vehicles Proving Establishment * The Guided Projectile Establishment formed in 1945 at Westcott (in 1946 becoming part of the RAE and renamed the

Rocket Propulsion Establishment The Rocket Propulsion Establishment at Westcott, Buckinghamshire on the site of the former RAF Westcott has made a number of notable contributions in the field of rocket propulsion, including input on the rocket design for the Blue Streak mis ...

) * The

Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment The Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment (MAEE) was a British military research and test organisation. It was originally formed as the Marine Aircraft Experimental Station in October 1918 at RAF Isle of Grain, a former Royal Naval Air Serv ...

(MAEE) came under the Ministry of Supply after moving from Helensburgh to Felixstowe in 1945, and closed in 1956 * The Military Engineering Experimental Establishment (MEXE) at Christchurch formed in 1946 * The

Royal Aircraft Establishment The Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) was a British research establishment, known by several different names during its history, that eventually came under the aegis of the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), before finally losing its identity in me ...

(RAE) at Farnborough (and both RAE Bedford from 1946 and RAE Aberporth from 1947) * The Services Electronics Research Laboratory (SERL) at Harlow and Baldock formed in 1945 * The

Signals Research and Development Establishment __NOTOC__ The Signals Research and Development Establishment (SRDE) was a British government military research establishment, based in Christchurch, Dorset from 1943 until it merged with the Royal Radar Establishment (RRE) in Malvern, Worcestersh ...

at Christchurch formed in 1948 * The

which merged with the Radar Research and Development Establishment in 1953 to become the Radar Research Establishment, and from 1957 was renamed the Royal Radar Establishment

Closure of the Ministry of Supply in 1959 by the Service Departments Supply Order

The bill to abolish the Ministry of Supply was passed on 12 November 1959Hansard Debate, 12 November 1959 vol 613 cc657-75 at which time the

was created to look after both civilian and military aviation interests. Under the order the Ministry of Supply took over the aviation interests of the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation and was renamed the

, this enabling it to look after both civil and military aviation interests (across army, navy and RAF) as well as guided missiles, radar, nuclear weapons and munitions for aircraft. The bulk of other procurement functions including cross-service procurement were transferred out of the new

to the

. The

regained procurement powers (except for aircraft) that had been transferred to the

in 1940 and transferred to the Ministry of Supply in 1946. The procurement powers of the

were largely unaffected, though their aircraft would now be supplied via the

References

Bibliography

* Ashworth, William (1953). ''Contracts and Finance'' ( History of the Second World War: United Kingdom Civil Series). London:

Her Majesty's Stationery Office The Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI) is the body responsible for the operation of His Majesty's Stationery Office (HMSO) and of other public information services of the United Kingdom. The OPSI is part of the National Archives of the Un ...

and Longmans, Green and Co. * Arnold, Lorna (2001). ''Britain and the H-bomb''. Basingstoke: Palgrave. . (In the USA: ). * Gowing, Margaret (1974). ''Independence and Deterrence: Britain and Atomic Energy, 1945–1952''. Volume 1: ''Policy Making''. London: The Macmillan Press. . * Gowing, Margaret (1974). ''Independence and Deterrence: Britain and Atomic Energy, 1945–1952. Volume 2: ''Policy Execution''. London: The Macmillan Press. . * Hornby, William (1958). ''Factories and Plant: ( History of the Second World War: United Kingdom Civil Series)''. London:

and Longmans, Green and Co. * Inman, P (1957). ''Labour in the Munitions Industries: ( History of the Second World War: United Kingdom Civil Series)''. London:

and Longmans, Green and Co. * {{Cite book , last= Robotham , first= William Arthur , title= Silver Ghosts and Silver Dawn , accessdate= , edition= , year= 1970 , publisher= Constable , location= London , isbn= , oclc= , page= , pages= Ministries established in 1939 1939 establishments in the United Kingdom 1959 disestablishments in the United Kingdom 20th century in the United Kingdom

Supply Supply may refer to: *The amount of a resource that is available **Supply (economics), the amount of a product which is available to customers **Materiel, the goods and equipment for a military unit to fulfill its mission *Supply, as in confidenc ...

Government agencies established in 1939 Government munitions production in the United Kingdom Military of the United Kingdom