1957 Defence White Paper
Encyclopedia
The 1957 White Paper on Defence (Cmnd. 124) was a British
white paper
setting forth the perceived future of the British military. It had profound effects on all aspects of the defence industry but probably the most affected was the British aircraft industry. Duncan Sandys
, the recently appointed Minister of Defence
, produced the paper.
The decisions were influenced by two major factors: the finances of the country and the coming of the missile age. Where before combat in the air would have been between aircraft; high flying bombers carrying nuclear weapons and fast interceptor fighter aircraft trying to stop them, now the guided missile
, particularly the surface-to-air missile
threatened all aircraft. The emergent space age
showed that missiles could also deliver those nuclear weapons anywhere in the world.
.
Under pressure, in 1960 English Electric
, Bristol Aeroplane Company
and Vickers-Armstrong merged to form the British Aircraft Corporation
, or BAC. Hunting Aircraft
soon joined the BAC group. In the same year, de Havilland
, Blackburn Aircraft
and Folland
merged into Hawker Siddeley, which had already consisted of Armstrong Whitworth
, Avro
, Gloster
and Hawker
since 1935. Westland Aircraft
took over all the helicopter
manufacturers, including Saunders-Roe
, Fairey Aviation
and Bristol's helicopter work. Saunders-Roe's hovercraft
work was spun off and merged with Vickers Supermarine as the British Hovercraft Corporation
.
Very few companies were left independent after this wave of mergers, leaving only Handley Page as a major independent, along with the smaller companies like Auster
, Boulton Paul, Miles Aircraft
, Scottish Aviation
and Short Brothers
. Most of these disappeared by 1970s, leaving only Scottish Aviation to merge into British Aerospace
in 1977, and Shorts, which was purchased by Bombardier
in 1989.
Engine companies were likewise "encouraged" to merge. In 1959 Armstrong Siddeley
and Bristol's engine division merged to become Bristol Siddeley
, but were shortly purchased by Rolls-Royce
in 1966, leaving RR as the only major British aircraft engine manufacturer.
These included the next generation of supersonic interceptor for high flying bombers, the F.155
and the interim aircraft that would have covered it until introduction in 1963, namely the Saunders-Roe SR.53
, Saunders-Roe SR.177. The Avro 730
supersonic light bomber was also cancelled, as was the Blue Rosette nuclear weapon to arm it. Oddly the Blue Envoy surface-to-air missile
was also cancelled, although it would be more in keeping with the spirit of the paper. The English Electric P.1 (which would become the Lightning
) was spared only because it was too far advanced to bother cancelling.
was to be reduced in size and reorganised to reflect the ending of National Service
and the change to a voluntary army, and to "keep the Army abreast of changing circumstances, policies, weapons and techniques of war". 51 major units and a large number of smaller ones were to be disbanded or amalgamated
, leaving the army with a strength of 165,000 officers and men. The process was to be carried out in two phases, to be completed by the end of 1959 and 1962 respectively.
The Royal Armoured Corps
was to be reduced by the amalgamation of:
The Royal Artillery
was to lose 18 major and numerous small units. The Royal Horse Artillery
was to be cut to three regiments.
The infantry of the line was to undergo major changes. Existing regiments were to be grouped in "brigades". Each brigade was to have a single depot with those of the individual regiments being reduced to the status of regimental headquarters. There was to be a reduction in the number of regular battalions from 64 to 49 by the merging of pairs of regiments. The brigades and regiments were to be:
The Royal Engineers
would be reduced by approximately 15,000 officers and men, with divisional engineer regiments to be replaced by field squadrons. The Royal Signals was to lose 13,000 soldiers by reduction of second-line units. Some of the work of the Royal Army Service Corps
was to pass to civilian contractors, allowing a loss 18,000 men. The Royal Army Ordnance Corps
was to lose 11,000 soldiers, and was to be organised more efficiently with a large number of depots closed. The Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
was to lose 23,000 soldiers. Other arms and services were to be reduced in proportion.
was no longer required and production was cancelled.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
white paper
White paper
A white paper is an authoritative report or guide that helps solve a problem. White papers are used to educate readers and help people make decisions, and are often requested and used in politics, policy, business, and technical fields. In commercial use, the term has also come to refer to...
setting forth the perceived future of the British military. It had profound effects on all aspects of the defence industry but probably the most affected was the British aircraft industry. Duncan Sandys
Duncan Sandys
Edwin Duncan Sandys, Baron Duncan-Sandys CH PC was a British politician and a minister in successive Conservative governments in the 1950s and 1960s...
, the recently appointed Minister of Defence
Minister of Defence (UK)
The post of Minister of Defence was responsible for co-ordination of defence and security from its creation in 1940 until its abolition in 1964. The post was a Cabinet level post and generally ranked above the three service ministers, some of whom, however, continued to also serve in...
, produced the paper.
The decisions were influenced by two major factors: the finances of the country and the coming of the missile age. Where before combat in the air would have been between aircraft; high flying bombers carrying nuclear weapons and fast interceptor fighter aircraft trying to stop them, now the guided missile
Guided Missile
Guided Missile is a London based independent record label set up by Paul Kearney in 1994.Guided Missile has always focused on 'the underground', preferring to put out a steady flow of releases and developing the numerous GM events around London and beyond....
, particularly the surface-to-air missile
Surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
threatened all aircraft. The emergent space age
Space Age
The Space Age is a time period encompassing the activities related to the Space Race, space exploration, space technology, and the cultural developments influenced by these events. The Space Age is generally considered to have begun with Sputnik...
showed that missiles could also deliver those nuclear weapons anywhere in the world.
Aircraft industry reorganization
The paper stated that the aircraft industry should re-organise; several smaller companies becoming a few larger ones. It was made clear that new contracts would only be given to such merged firms, including the only new aircraft project, what would become the TSR-2BAC TSR-2
The British Aircraft Corporation TSR-2 was a cancelled Cold War strike and reconnaissance aircraft developed by the British Aircraft Corporation for the Royal Air Force in the late 1950s and early 1960s...
.
Under pressure, in 1960 English Electric
English Electric
English Electric was a British industrial manufacturer. Founded in 1918, it initially specialised in industrial electric motors and transformers...
, Bristol Aeroplane Company
Bristol Aeroplane Company
The Bristol Aeroplane Company, originally the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company, was both one of the first and one of the most important British aviation companies, designing and manufacturing both airframes and aero engines...
and Vickers-Armstrong merged to form the British Aircraft Corporation
British Aircraft Corporation
The British Aircraft Corporation was a British aircraft manufacturer formed from the government-pressured merger of English Electric Aviation Ltd., Vickers-Armstrongs , the Bristol Aeroplane Company and Hunting Aircraft in 1960. Bristol, English Electric and Vickers became "parents" of BAC with...
, or BAC. Hunting Aircraft
Hunting Aircraft
Hunting Aircraft was a British aircraft manufacturer, that produced light training aircraft and initially designed the BAC 1-11 jet airliner. The company, based in Luton, merged with other companies to form the British Aircraft Corporation in 1959.-History:...
soon joined the BAC group. In the same year, de Havilland
De Havilland
The de Havilland Aircraft Company was a British aviation manufacturer founded in 1920 when Airco, of which Geoffrey de Havilland had been chief designer, was sold to BSA by the owner George Holt Thomas. De Havilland then set up a company under his name in September of that year at Stag Lane...
, Blackburn Aircraft
Blackburn Aircraft
Blackburn Aircraft Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer that concentrated mainly on naval and maritime aircraft during the first part of the 20th century.-History:...
and Folland
Folland
Folland Aircraft was a British aircraft manufacturing company which was active between 1937 and 1963.-History:British Marine Aircraft Ltd was formed in February 1936 to produce Sikorsky S-42-A flying boats under licence in the UK. The company built a factory on the western side of the Hamble...
merged into Hawker Siddeley, which had already consisted of Armstrong Whitworth
Armstrong Whitworth
Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd was a major British manufacturing company of the early years of the 20th century. Headquartered in Elswick, Newcastle upon Tyne, Armstrong Whitworth engaged in the construction of armaments, ships, locomotives, automobiles, and aircraft.-History:In 1847,...
, Avro
Avro
Avro was a British aircraft manufacturer, with numerous landmark designs such as the Avro 504 trainer in the First World War, the Avro Lancaster, one of the pre-eminent bombers of the Second World War, and the delta wing Avro Vulcan, a stalwart of the Cold War.-Early history:One of the world's...
, Gloster
Gloster Aircraft Company
The Gloster Aircraft Company, Limited, known locally as GAC, was a British aircraft manufacturer. The company produced a famous lineage of fighters for the Royal Air Force : the Grebe, Gladiator, Meteor and Javelin. It also produced the Hawker Hurricane and Hawker Typhoon for the parent company...
and Hawker
Hawker Aircraft
Hawker Aircraft Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer responsible for some of the most famous products in British aviation history.-History:...
since 1935. Westland Aircraft
Westland Aircraft
Westland Aircraft was a British aircraft manufacturer located in Yeovil in Somerset. Formed as a separate company by separation from Petters Ltd just before the start of the Second World War, Westland had been building aircraft since 1915...
took over all the helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
manufacturers, including Saunders-Roe
Saunders-Roe
Saunders-Roe Limited was a British aero- and marine-engineering company based at Columbine Works East Cowes, Isle of Wight.-History:The name was adopted in 1929 after Alliot Verdon Roe and John Lord took a controlling interest in the boat-builders S.E. Saunders...
, Fairey Aviation
Fairey Aviation
The Fairey Aviation Company Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer of the first half of the 20th century based in Hayes in Greater London and Heaton Chapel and RAF Ringway in Greater Manchester...
and Bristol's helicopter work. Saunders-Roe's hovercraft
Hovercraft
A hovercraft is a craft capable of traveling over surfaces while supported by a cushion of slow moving, high-pressure air which is ejected against the surface below and contained within a "skirt." Although supported by air, a hovercraft is not considered an aircraft.Hovercraft are used throughout...
work was spun off and merged with Vickers Supermarine as the British Hovercraft Corporation
British Hovercraft Corporation
British Hovercraft Corporation was the corporate entity created when the Saunders Roe division of Westland Aircraft and Vickers Supermarine combined March 1966 with the intention of creating viable commercial hovercraft - .None of the Vickers designs were 'taken forward', the...
.
Very few companies were left independent after this wave of mergers, leaving only Handley Page as a major independent, along with the smaller companies like Auster
Auster
Auster Aircraft Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer from 1938 to 1961.-History:The company began in 1938 at the Britannia Works, Thurmaston near Leicester, England, as Taylorcraft Aeroplanes Limited, making light observation aircraft designed by the Taylorcraft Aircraft Corporation of...
, Boulton Paul, Miles Aircraft
Miles Aircraft
Miles was the name used to market the aircraft of British engineer Frederick George Miles, who designed numerous light civil and military aircraft and a range of curious prototypes...
, Scottish Aviation
Scottish Aviation
Scottish Aviation Limited was a Scottish aircraft manufacturer, based at Prestwick in South Ayrshire.-History:Originally a flying school operator the company took on maintenance work in 1938....
and Short Brothers
Short Brothers
Short Brothers plc is a British aerospace company, usually referred to simply as Shorts, that is now based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Founded in 1908, Shorts was the first company in the world to make production aircraft and was a manufacturer of flying boats during the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s...
. Most of these disappeared by 1970s, leaving only Scottish Aviation to merge into British Aerospace
British Aerospace
British Aerospace plc was a UK aircraft, munitions and defence-systems manufacturer. Its head office was in the Warwick House in the Farnborough Aerospace Centre in Farnborough, Hampshire...
in 1977, and Shorts, which was purchased by Bombardier
Bombardier Aerospace
Bombardier Aerospace is a division of Bombardier Inc. and is the third-largest airplane manufacturer in the world. It is headquartered in Dorval, Quebec, Canada.- History :...
in 1989.
Engine companies were likewise "encouraged" to merge. In 1959 Armstrong Siddeley
Armstrong Siddeley
Armstrong Siddeley was a British engineering group that operated during the first half of the 20th century. It was formed in 1919 and is best known for the production of luxury motor cars and aircraft engines.-Siddeley Autocars:...
and Bristol's engine division merged to become Bristol Siddeley
Bristol Siddeley
Bristol Siddeley Engines Ltd was a British aero engine manufacturer. The company was formed in 1959 by a merger of Bristol Aero-Engines Limited and Armstrong Siddeley Motors Limited. In 1961 the company was expanded by the purchase of the de Havilland Engine Company and the engine division of...
, but were shortly purchased by Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce plc
Rolls-Royce Group plc is a global power systems company headquartered in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s second-largest maker of aircraft engines , and also has major businesses in the marine propulsion and energy sectors. Through its defence-related activities...
in 1966, leaving RR as the only major British aircraft engine manufacturer.
Reduction in manned aircraft projects
With the development of missiles, those roles that missiles could cover meant that certain aircraft in development could be cancelled.These included the next generation of supersonic interceptor for high flying bombers, the F.155
Operational Requirement F.155
Operational Requirement F.155 was a specification issued by the British Ministry of Supply for an interceptor aircraft to defend the United Kingdom from high-flying supersonic bombers....
and the interim aircraft that would have covered it until introduction in 1963, namely the Saunders-Roe SR.53
Saunders-Roe SR.53
|- See also :-References:NotesBibliography* Jones, Barry. "Saro's Mixed Power Saga". Aeroplane Monthly, November 1994, Vol 22 No 11 Issue 259. pp. 32–39. London:IPC. ISSN 0143-7240....
, Saunders-Roe SR.177. The Avro 730
Avro 730
|-See also:-References:CitationsBibliography* Bartlett, Christopher John. "The Long Retreat: A Short History of British Defence Policy, 1945-70". Macmillan, 1971.* Brookes, Andrew J. "V-Force: The History of Britain's Airborne Deterrent ". Jane's, 1982....
supersonic light bomber was also cancelled, as was the Blue Rosette nuclear weapon to arm it. Oddly the Blue Envoy surface-to-air missile
Surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
was also cancelled, although it would be more in keeping with the spirit of the paper. The English Electric P.1 (which would become the Lightning
English Electric Lightning
The English Electric Lightning is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft of the Cold War era, noted for its great speed and unpainted natural metal exterior finish. It is the only all-British Mach 2 fighter aircraft. The aircraft was renowned for its capabilities as an interceptor; Royal Air Force ...
) was spared only because it was too far advanced to bother cancelling.
Restructuring of the British Army
The British ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
was to be reduced in size and reorganised to reflect the ending of National Service
Conscription in the United Kingdom
Conscription in the United Kingdom has existed for two periods in modern times. The first was from 1916 to 1919, the second was from 1939 to 1960, with the last conscripted soldiers leaving the service in 1963...
and the change to a voluntary army, and to "keep the Army abreast of changing circumstances, policies, weapons and techniques of war". 51 major units and a large number of smaller ones were to be disbanded or amalgamated
Consolidation (business)
Consolidation or amalgamation is the act of merging many things into one. In business, it often refers to the mergers and acquisitions of many smaller companies into much larger ones. In the context of financial accounting, consolidation refers to the aggregation of financial statements of a group...
, leaving the army with a strength of 165,000 officers and men. The process was to be carried out in two phases, to be completed by the end of 1959 and 1962 respectively.
The Royal Armoured Corps
Royal Armoured Corps
The Royal Armoured Corps is currently a collection of ten regular regiments, mostly converted from old horse cavalry regiments, and four Yeomanry regiments of the Territorial Army...
was to be reduced by the amalgamation of:
- The 1st King's Dragoon Guards1st King's Dragoon GuardsThe 1st King's Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment in the British Army. The regiment was formed in 1685 as The Queen's Regiment of Horse, named in honour of Queen Mary, consort of King James II. It was renamed The King's Own Regiment of Horse in 1714 in honour of George I...
and the Queen's Bays (2nd Dragoon Guards) - 3rd The King's Own Hussars3rd The King's Own HussarsThe 3rd Hussars was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1685. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated into The Queen's Own Hussars in 1958.-The Glorious Revolution:...
and 7th Queen's Own Hussars7th Queen's Own HussarsThe 7th Queen's Own Hussars was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first formed in 1690. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated into The Queen's Own Hussars in 1958.... - 4th Queen's Own Hussars4th Queen's Own HussarsThe 4th Queen's Own Hussars was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1685. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated into The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars in 1958....
and 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars8th King's Royal Irish HussarsThe 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1693. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated into The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars in 1958.... - 3rd and 6th Royal Tank RegimentRoyal Tank RegimentThe Royal Tank Regiment is an armoured regiment of the British Army. It was formerly known as the Tank Corps and the Royal Tank Corps. It is part of the Royal Armoured Corps and is made up of two operational regiments, the 1st Royal Tank Regiment and the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment...
s - 4th and 7th Royal Tank Regiments
- 5th and 8th Royal Tank Regiments
The Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
was to lose 18 major and numerous small units. The Royal Horse Artillery
Royal Horse Artillery
The regiments of the Royal Horse Artillery , dating from 1793, are part of the Royal Regiment of Artillery of the British Army...
was to be cut to three regiments.
The infantry of the line was to undergo major changes. Existing regiments were to be grouped in "brigades". Each brigade was to have a single depot with those of the individual regiments being reduced to the status of regimental headquarters. There was to be a reduction in the number of regular battalions from 64 to 49 by the merging of pairs of regiments. The brigades and regiments were to be:
- The Lowland Brigade: The Royal ScotsThe Royal ScotsThe Royal Scots , once known as the Royal Regiment of Foot, was the oldest, and therefore most senior, infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, having been raised in 1633 during the reign of Charles I of Scotland...
, The King's Own Scottish Borderers, The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)The Cameronians was an infantry regiment of the British Army, the only regiment of rifles amongst the Scottish regiments of infantry...
and a regiment formed by the merger of the Royal Scots FusiliersRoyal Scots Fusiliers-The Earl of Mar's Regiment of Foot :The regiment was raised in Scotland in 1678 by Stuart loyalist Charles Erskine, de jure 5th Earl of Mar for service against the rebel covenanting forces during the Second Whig Revolt . They were used to keep the peace and put down brigands, mercenaries, and...
and the Highland Light InfantryHighland Light InfantryThe Highland Light Infantry was a regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1959. In 1923 the regimental title was expanded to the Highland Light Infantry ... - The Home Counties BrigadeHome Counties BrigadeThe Home Counties Brigade was an administrative formation of the British Army from 1948 to 1968. The Brigade administered the regular infantry battalions of the Home Counties of south east England....
: The Royal Sussex Regiment, The Middlesex Regiment and two regiments to be formed by the amalgamation of the Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)The Queen's Royal Regiment was a regiment of the English and later British Army from 1661 to 1959. It was the senior English line infantry regiment of the British Army, behind only the Royal Scots in the British Army line infantry order of precedence...
with The East Surrey Regiment and The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)The Buffs , formerly the 3rd Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army until 1961. It had a history dating back to 1572 and was one of the oldest regiments in the British Army being third in order of precedence...
with The Queen's Own Royal West Kent RegimentThe Queen's Own Royal West Kent RegimentThe Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1961. It was formed as The Queen's Own as part of the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 50th Regiment of Foot and the 97th Regiment of Foot...
. - The Lancastrian BrigadeLancastrian BrigadeThe Lancastrian Brigade was an administrative formation of the British Army from 1948 to 1968. The Brigade administered the regular infantry battalions of northwest England....
: The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire), and three amalgamated regiments formed by The King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster)/The Border Regiment, The King's Regiment (Liverpool)The King's Regiment (Liverpool)The King's Regiment was one of the oldest infantry regiments of the British Army, having been formed in 1685 and numbered as the 8th Regiment of Foot in 1751...
/The Manchester RegimentThe Manchester RegimentThe Manchester Regiment was a regiment of the British army, formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 63rd Regiment of Foot and the 96th Regiment of Foot...
and The East Lancashire Regiment/The South Lancashire Regiment - The Fusilier BrigadeFusilier BrigadeThe Fusilier Brigade was an administrative formation of the British Army from 1958 to 1968. The Brigade combined the depots of the English infantry regiments designated as fusiliers.The Brigade was created as part of the defence reforms announced in July 1957...
: The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, The Royal Fusiliers and The Lancashire Fusiliers - The Midland BrigadeForester BrigadeThe Forester Brigade was an administrative formation of the British Army from 1948 to 1964. The Brigade administered the regular infantry battalions of the English Midlands....
: The Royal Warwickshire Regiment, The Royal Leicestershire Regiment and The Sherwood Foresters - The East Anglian BrigadeEast Anglian BrigadeThe East Anglian Brigade was an administrative formation of the British Army from 1948 to 1968. The Brigade administered the regular infantry regiments of eastern England....
: Three regiments were to be formed by amalgamation of The Royal Norfolk Regiment/The Suffolk Regiment, The Royal Lincolnshire RegimentThe Royal Lincolnshire RegimentThe Royal Lincolnshire Regiment was raised on June 20, 1685 as the Earl of Bath's Regiment for its first Colonel, John Granville, 1st Earl of Bath. In 1751 it was numbered like most other Army regiments and named the 10 Regiment of Foot. After the Childers Reforms of 1881 it became the Lincolnshire...
/The Northamptonshire Regiment and The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment/The Essex Regiment - The Wessex BrigadeWessex BrigadeThe Wessex Brigade was an administrative formation of the British Army from 1948 to 1968. The Brigade administered the regular infantry battalions of the Wessex area of south and south west England....
:The Gloucestershire RegimentThe Gloucestershire RegimentThe Gloucestershire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army. Nicknamed "The Glorious Glosters", the regiment carried more battle honours on their regimental colours than any other British Army line regiment.-Origins and early history:...
, The Royal Hampshire Regiment and two regiments formed by amalgamation of The Devonshire RegimentThe Devonshire RegimentThe Devonshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army which served under various titles from 1685 to 1958. Its lineage is continued today by The Rifles.-Origin and titles:...
with The Dorset Regiment and The Royal Berkshire Regiment with The Wiltshire Regiment - The Light Infantry BrigadeLight Infantry BrigadeThe Light Infantry Brigade was an administrative formation of the British Army from 1948 to 1968. The Brigade administered the regular English light infantry regiments....
: The King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, The King's Shropshire Light InfantryThe King's Shropshire Light InfantryThe King's Shropshire Light Infantry was a regiment of the British Army, formed in 1881, but with antecedents dating back to 1755. The KSLI was amalgamated with three other county light infantry regiments in 1968 to became part of The Light Infantry...
, The Durham Light Infantry and a regiment formed by a merger of the Somerset Light Infantry and The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry - The Yorkshire BrigadeYorkshire BrigadeThe Yorkshire Brigade was an administrative formation of the British Army from 1948 to 1968. The Brigade administered the regular infantry battalions of Yorkshire, England....
: The Green HowardsThe Green HowardsThe Green Howards was an infantry regiment of the British Army, in the King's Division...
, The Duke of Wellington's RegimentThe Duke of Wellington's RegimentThe Duke of Wellington's Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, forming part of the King's Division.In 1702 Colonel George Hastings, 8th Earl of Huntingdon, was authorised to raise a new regiment, which he did in and around the city of Gloucester. As was the custom in those days...
, The York and Lancaster Regiment and a regiment formed by the merger of The East Yorkshire Regiment and The West Yorkshire Regiment - The Mercian BrigadeMercian BrigadeThe Mercian Brigade was an administrative formation of the British Army from 1948 to 1964. The Brigade administered the regular infantry from the area of England between the Trent, Mersey and Severn rivers that roughly corresponded to the ancient kingdom of Mercia.After the Second World War the...
: The Cheshire Regiment, The Worcestershire Regiment and a regiment formed by the merging of The North Staffordshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's) with The South Staffordshire Regiment - The Welsh BrigadeWelsh BrigadeThe Welsh Brigade was an administrative formation of the British Army from 1948 to 1964. The Brigade administered the regular Welsh infantry regiments.After the Second World War the British Army had fourteen infantry depots, each bearing a letter...
: The Royal Welch Fusiliers, The South Wales BorderersThe South Wales BorderersThe South Wales Borderers was an infantry regiment of the British Army. It first came into existence, as the 24th Regiment of Foot, in 1689, but was not called the South Wales Borderers until 1881. The regiment served in a great many conflicts, including the American Revolutionary War, various...
and The Welch Regiment - The North Irish BrigadeNorth Irish BrigadeAfter the Second World War there were 14 infantry depots in Britain, each bearing a letter. The depots were territorially aligned, and Infantry Depot M at Omagh was aligned with the regiments from Northern Ireland...
: The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, The Royal Ulster Rifles and The Royal Irish Fusiliers - The Highland BrigadeHighland BrigadeHighland Brigade is the name of several military units:* Highland Brigade , a historical unit of the British Army, which has been formed a number of times...
: The Black WatchThe Black WatchThe Black Watch is a 1929 American early epic adventure drama film directed by John Ford and written by James Kevin McGuinness based on the novel King of the Khyber Rifles by Talbot Mundy. The film starred Victor McLaglen...
, The Gordon HighlandersThe Gordon HighlandersThe Gordon Highlanders was a British Army infantry regiment from 1794 until 1994. The regiment took its name from the Clan Gordon and recruited principally from Aberdeen and the North-East of Scotland.-History:...
, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and a regiment formed by the meger of The Seaforth Highlanders with The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders - The Green Jackets BrigadeGreen Jackets BrigadeThe Green Jackets Brigade was an administrative formation of the British Army from 1948 to 1968. The Brigade administered the English rifle regiments. The designation "Green Jackets" was derived from their rifle green tunics indicating their status as rifles....
: The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, The King's Royal Rifle Corps and The Rifle Brigade - The Parachute Regiment was to continue to have three battalions.
The Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
would be reduced by approximately 15,000 officers and men, with divisional engineer regiments to be replaced by field squadrons. The Royal Signals was to lose 13,000 soldiers by reduction of second-line units. Some of the work of the Royal Army Service Corps
Royal Army Service Corps
The Royal Army Service Corps was a corps of the British Army. It was responsible for land, coastal and lake transport; air despatch; supply of food, water, fuel, and general domestic stores such as clothing, furniture and stationery ; administration of...
was to pass to civilian contractors, allowing a loss 18,000 men. The Royal Army Ordnance Corps
Royal Army Ordnance Corps
The Royal Army Ordnance Corps was a corps of the British Army. It dealt only with the supply and maintenance of weaponry, munitions and other military equipment until 1965, when it took over most other supply functions, as well as the provision of staff clerks, from the Royal Army Service...
was to lose 11,000 soldiers, and was to be organised more efficiently with a large number of depots closed. The Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers is a corps of the British Army that has responsibility for the maintenance, servicing and inspection of almost every electrical and mechanical piece of equipment within the British Army from Challenger II main battle tanks and WAH64 Apache...
was to lose 23,000 soldiers. Other arms and services were to be reduced in proportion.
Ending of air branch RNVR
Since 1938 the Air Branch of the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve had been contributing reservists for air operations. From 1947 it had been curtailed to anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and fighter units only — there being a large number of propeller aircraft still in use. The increasing complexity of weapons system and the use of helicopters for ASW was thought to be beyond what reservist training could manage. With the ending of the Air branch, the Short SeamewShort Seamew
The Short SB.6 Seamew was a British aircraft designed in 1951 by David Keith-Lucas of Shorts as a lightweight anti-submarine platform to replace the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm 's Grumman Avenger AS 4 with the Reserve branch of the service...
was no longer required and production was cancelled.