Civilian expertise in war

Philip Hamlyn Williams introduces us to the commercial and industrial background to modern-day warfare.

When I think of war, I immediately see men and women in one of three uniforms: Royal Navy, RAF and Army. My research over the past seven years into how the British army was supplied in two world wars tells a rather different story.

This article seeks to explore the role played by civilians, and civilians who temporarily became soldiers, bringing with them skills and experience from the essentially non-military world. Rather than look at this in its generality, I focus on the story of a small number of individuals who ended up playing key roles...