No items
Catalogue description Ministry of Supply and successors: Explosives Research and Development Establishment: Registered Files
| Reference: | AVIA 67 |
|---|---|
| Title: | Ministry of Supply and successors: Explosives Research and Development Establishment: Registered Files |
| Description: |
Registered files of the Explosives Research and Development Establishment at Waltham Abbey including administration of the site and lands as well as research into explosives, especially propellants for guided missiles. A technical organisation chart (Sept 1962) is in AVIA 67/8 |
| Date: | 1946-1976 |
| Related material: |
See also the records of the Director of Experiments and Research in |
| Held by: | The National Archives, Kew |
| Former reference in its original department: | (WA and XR Series) |
| Legal status: | Public Record(s) |
| Language: | English |
| Creator: |
Ministry of Supply, Explosives Research and Development Establishment, 1948-1958 |
| Physical description: | 41 file(s) |
| Access conditions: | Open unless otherwise stated |
| Immediate source of acquisition: |
From 1992 Ministry of Defence |
| Accruals: | Series is accruing |
| Administrative / biographical background: |
From the 16th century gunpowder was manufactured at mills on the River Lea near Waltham Abbey, Essex, and the industry passed into government ownership in 1787. By World War II, manufacture of more modern explosives was long established, and production had been centralised in the Royal Gunpowder Factory (RGPF). The factory was closed in 1945 but the site remained in use firstly as an outstation of the Armament Research Department (ARD), then as the Chemical Research and Development Department (CRDD) of the Ministry of Supply (changed again for a short period from a "Department" to an "Establishment", giving CRDE). In 1948 the title was again changed to Explosives Research and Development Establishment (ERDE), which accurately described the nature of its work. Most of the ERDE's work was concerned with propellants, in later years mainly for guided weapons, though there were continuing programmes in other areas such as initiating compounds and research into non-metallic materials for defence use. In 1977 ERDE was amalgamated with other organisations to become part of the Propellants, Explosives and Rocket Motor Establishment. ERDE was under the control, firstly, of the Ministry of Supply, and then of the Ministry of Aviation (1959), the Ministry of Technology (1967), the Ministry of Aviation Supply (1970) and the Ministry of Defence (1971). |
Have you found an error with this catalogue description? Let us know