Main aspects of paper 1957 Defence White Paper

1 main aspects of paper

1.1 aircraft industry reorganization
1.2 reduction in manned aircraft projects
1.3 restructuring of british army
1.4 ending of air branch rnvr

main aspects of paper
aircraft industry reorganization

the paper stated aircraft industry should re-organise, number of smaller companies becoming few larger ones. made clear new contracts given such merged firms, including new aircraft project, become tsr-2.

under pressure, in 1960 english electric, bristol aeroplane company , vickers-armstrong merged form british aircraft corporation, or bac. hunting aircraft joined bac group. in same year, de havilland, blackburn aircraft , folland merged hawker siddeley, had consisted of armstrong whitworth, avro, gloster , hawker since 1935. westland aircraft took on helicopter manufacturers, including saunders-roe, fairey aviation , bristol s helicopter work. saunders-roe s hovercraft work spun off , merged vickers supermarine british hovercraft corporation.

very few companies left independent after wave of mergers, leaving handley page major independent, along smaller companies auster, boulton paul, miles aircraft, scottish aviation , short brothers. of these disappeared 1970s, leaving scottish aviation merge british aerospace in 1977, , shorts, purchased bombardier in 1989.

engine companies likewise encouraged merge. in 1959 armstrong siddeley , bristol s engine division merged become bristol siddeley, shortly purchased rolls-royce in 1966, leaving rr major british aircraft engine manufacturer.

reduction in manned aircraft projects

with development of missiles, roles missiles cover meant aircraft in development cancelled.

these included next generation of supersonic interceptor high flying bombers, f.155 , interim aircraft have covered until introduction in 1963, namely saunders-roe sr.53, saunders-roe sr.177. avro 730 supersonic light bomber cancelled, blue rosette nuclear weapon arm it. oddly, blue envoy surface-to-air missile cancelled, although have been more in keeping spirit of paper. english electric p.1 (which become lightning) spared because far advanced bother cancelling.

the royal auxiliary air force s flying role brought end.

restructuring of british army

the british army reduced in size , reorganised reflect ending of national service , change voluntary army, , keep army abreast of changing circumstances, policies, weapons , techniques of war . 51 major units , large number of smaller ones disbanded or amalgamated, leaving army strength of 165,000 officers , men. process carried out in 2 phases, completed end of 1959 , 1962 respectively.

the royal armoured corps reduced amalgamation of:

1st king s dragoon guards , queen s bays (2nd dragoon guards) 1st queen s dragoon guards
3rd king s own hussars , 7th queen s own hussars queen s own hussars
4th queen s own hussars , 8th king s royal irish hussars queen s royal irish hussars
3rd royal tank regiment , 6th royal tank regiment
4th royal tank regiment , 7th royal tank regiment
5th royal tank regiment , 8th royal tank regiment

the royal artillery lose 18 major , numerous small units. royal horse artillery cut 3 regiments.

the infantry of line undergo major changes. existing regiments grouped in brigades . each brigade have single depot of individual regiments being reduced status of regimental headquarters. there reduction in number of regular infantry battalions 64 49 merging of pairs of regiments. brigades , regiments be:

the lowland brigade: royal scots, king s own scottish borderers, cameronians (scottish rifles) , regiment formed merger of royal scots fusiliers , highland light infantry
the home counties brigade: royal sussex regiment, middlesex regiment , 2 regiments formed amalgamation of queen s royal regiment (west surrey) east surrey regiment , buffs (royal east kent regiment) queen s own royal west kent regiment.
the lancastrian brigade: loyal regiment (north lancashire), , 3 amalgamated regiments formed king s own royal regiment (lancaster)/the border regiment, king s regiment (liverpool)/the manchester regiment , east lancashire regiment/the south lancashire regiment
the fusilier brigade: royal northumberland fusiliers, royal fusiliers , lancashire fusiliers
the midland brigade: royal warwickshire regiment, royal leicestershire regiment , sherwood foresters
the east anglian brigade: 3 regiments formed amalgamation of royal norfolk regiment/the suffolk regiment, royal lincolnshire regiment/the northamptonshire regiment , bedfordshire , hertfordshire regiment/the essex regiment
the wessex brigade:the gloucestershire regiment, royal hampshire regiment , 2 regiments formed amalgamation of devonshire regiment dorset regiment , royal berkshire regiment wiltshire regiment
the light infantry brigade: king s own yorkshire light infantry, king s shropshire light infantry, durham light infantry , regiment formed merger of somerset light infantry , duke of cornwall s light infantry
the yorkshire brigade: green howards, duke of wellington s regiment, york , lancaster regiment , regiment formed merger of east yorkshire regiment , west yorkshire regiment
the mercian brigade: cheshire regiment, worcestershire regiment , regiment formed merging of north staffordshire regiment (prince of wales s) south staffordshire regiment
the welsh brigade: royal welch fusiliers, south wales borderers , welch regiment
the north irish brigade: royal inniskilling fusiliers, royal ulster rifles , royal irish fusiliers
the highland brigade: black watch, gordon highlanders, argyll , sutherland highlanders , regiment formed merger of seaforth highlanders queen s own cameron highlanders
the green jackets brigade: oxfordshire , buckinghamshire light infantry, king s royal rifle corps , rifle brigade
the parachute regiment continue have 3 battalions.

the royal engineers reduced approximately 15,000 officers , men, divisional engineer regiments replaced field squadrons. royal signals lose 13,000 soldiers reduction of second-line units. of work of royal army service corps pass civilian contractors, allowing loss 18,000 men. royal army ordnance corps lose 11,000 soldiers, , organised more efficiently large number of depots closed. royal electrical , mechanical engineers lose 23,000 soldiers. other arms , services reduced in proportion.

ending of air branch rnvr

since 1938 air branch of royal navy volunteer reserve had been contributing reservists air operations. 1947 had been curtailed anti-submarine warfare (asw) , fighter units — there being large number of propeller aircraft still in use. increasing complexity of weapons system , use of helicopters asw thought beyond reservist training manage. ending of air branch, short seamew no longer required , production cancelled.