Catalogue description Ministry of Defence and predecessors: Military Vehicles and Engineering Establishment and predecessors: Reports, Minutes and Papers

In 1917 the Mechanical Warfare Supply Department of the Ministry of Munitions added design responsibilities to those which it already possessed for tank supply. Its experimental grounds were at Dollis Hill in North London and Oldbury in Worcestershire.

As part of the transfer of design and research functions back to the War Office after the end of the Great War, the Tank Committee - which had been formed in the War Office in 1917 - was re-constituted in 1919. In January 1920 a Mechanical Transport Advisory Board was formed under the chairmanship of the Director of Supplies and Transport, in the Quarter-Master-General's (QMG) Department. The Tank Committee was re-named the Tank Technical Committee in 1922.

In April 1919 responsibility for designs, patterns and specifications of arms and ammunition - and for the administration of research establishments - had been restored to the Director of Artillery within the Master-General of the Ordnance's (MGO) Department.

In 1924 the Directorate of Artillery [D of A] had been split into two directorates, D of A (II) becoming responsible for administration of committees, research establishments, experiments and tanks and in 1927 D of A(II) was reconstituted as the Directorate of Mechanization, with responsibility for small arms, tanks (later known as 'A' vehicles) and wheeled (later 'B') vehicles.

In 1921 the experimental establishment set up at Dollis Hill was moved to Farnborough and renamed the War Office Tank Design and Experimental Branch (later Department). This had responsibility for the development of tanks. In 1923 it was reduced to a tank testing section and its design responsibilities were divided between the Research Department, Woolwich and industry. In 1926 design and testing functions were reunited in a Tank and Tracked Transport Experimental Establishment. This became the Mechanical Warfare Experimental Establishment in 1927, at the same time as the Tank and Tracked Transport Technical Committee, set up in 1926, became the Mechanical Warfare Board. In 1934 they became respectively the Mechanisation Experimental Establishment and the Mechanisation Board.

Under the Ministry of Supply the Wheeled Vehicle Experimental Establishment concentrated on wheeled vehicles and a new Department or Directorate of Tank Design (later the Fighting Vehicles Design Department or Establishment) and the Fighting Vehicles Proving Establishment covered tracked vehicles.

In 1952 the Wheeled Vehicle Experimental Establishment was closed and research and testing of wheeled and tracked vehicles were reunited under the Fighting Vehicles Research and Development Establishment. In 1970 it merged with the Military Engineering Experimental Establishment to become the Military Vehicles and Engineering Establishment.