Catalogue description War Office: Directorate of Weapons and Development: British Atomic Trials, Maralinga, Australia, Photographs

The Directorate of Weapons and Development originated in 1939 as the Directorate of Staff Duties (Weapons) within the Department of the Chief of Imperial General Staff. It was responsible for general staff policy on ammunition and equipment for field army artillery (except anti-aircraft), the Royal Engineers, infantry and cavalry, In late 1942 it became the Directorate of Weapons and Vehicles, responsible for arctic and mountain warfare and for chemical weapons but not for artillery or armoured fighting vehicles. From mid-1943 it was called the Directorate of Special Weapons and Vehicles, to emphasize its preoccupation with less standard items. In 1948 the Directorate was absorbed into the Directorate of Weapons and Development which controlled all aspects of weapons development, including research into atomic, bacteriological and chemical warfare. Further reorganisation in 1960 saw it become the Directorate of Equipment Policy.