5 - Selling Armaments in Britain 1936–1955

Summary

With the Royal Commission now behind them and the Depression receding, Vickers-Armstrongs was once again able to fully focus on business and the needs of their customers. They began to rebuild their exports, but then the international market was reluctantly put aside for British rearmament in anticipation of renewed conflict. Vickers-Armstrongs faced a tsunami of orders across all areas of their business and initially struggled to meet British war needs but ultimately rose to the occasion. Vickers-Armstrongs employees served in government and the firm also oversaw shadow factories in addition to significantly expanding its own production. Their interwar investments in tanks and aircraft were vital to the British war effort, and the Supermarine Spitfire became iconic. In the aftermath of the war a familiar threat to the future of the firm reemerged: nationalization. Vickers-Armstrongs were unable to prevent it and the English Steel Corporation was nationalized by the Labour Government, complicating Vickers-Armstrongs operations. However, when the government fell, the incoming Conservative Government enabled denationalization of English Steel, returning it to the Vickers-Armstrongs fold. The era closes with rearmament for the Korean War.