The Minister of Supply in the British Government was in charge of the 1939–1959 Ministry of Supply, which was responsible for co-ordinating the supply of equipment to the armed forces. The position was campaigned for by many sceptics of the foreign policy of the National Government in the 1930s before ultimately being created in 1939.
During World War II there was a separate Ministry of Aircraft Production; the first minister Beaverbrook later became Minister of Supply. When W. A. Robotham was Chief Engineer of Tank Design in the Ministry of Supply, he demanded sound manganese steel castings for tank tracks, as a broken track could be a death warrant for the crew. Beaverbrook accused him of holding up production, and took a poor view of Robotham's observation "that they had enough unreliable tanks to last us the rest of the war!". In July 1941, 25% of British tanks were immobilised from mechanical failure, although there was no enemy action in the theatres of war.
The Ministry of Aircraft Production was amalgamated into the Ministry of Supply in July 1945.
In governments shortly after the war, the Ministry became increasingly unpopular with economy-minded Conservatives, who objected to it as a redundant middle-man. This point of view was shared by Reginald Maudling, who served as the Minister under Anthony Eden and refused to continue in office under Harold Macmillan, who had served in a junior role in the Ministry and believed in it, but agreed to wind it up in 1959.
Minister of Supply 1939–1959 Portrait Name Term of office Political party Government Leslie BurginMP for Luton 14 July1939 12 May1940 Liberal National National IV(Cons.–Lab.Nat.–Lib.Nat.) Chamberlain War(Cons.–Lab.Nat.–Lib.Nat.) Herbert MorrisonMP for Hackney South 12 May1940 3 October1940Labour Churchill War Sir Andrew Rae DuncanMP for City of London 3 October1940 29 June1941 National Max Aitken 1st Baron Beaverbrook 29 June1941 4 February1942 Conservative Sir Andrew Rae DuncanMP for City of London 4 February1942 26 July1945 National Churchill Caretaker John WilmotMP for Deptford 3 August1945 7 October1947 Labour Attlee(I & II) George StraussMP for Lambeth North before 1950MP for Vauxhall after 1950 7 October1947 26 October1951 Labour Duncan SandysMP for Streatham 31 October1951 18 October1954 Conservative Churchill III Selwyn LloydMP for The Wirral 18 October1954 7 April1955 Conservative Reginald MaudlingMP for Barnet 7 April1955 16 January1957 Conservative Eden Aubrey JonesMP for Birmingham Hall Green 16 January1957 22 October1959 Conservative Macmillan I
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