MD1 (military R&D organisation) facts for kids

Ministry of Defence 1 (MD1), also known as "Churchill's Toyshop", was a secret British group during World War II. Its main job was to invent and develop new weapons. This group was especially good at creating clever and unusual devices for the war effort.

The two most important people in MD1 were Major Millis Jefferis and Stuart Macrae. Macrae used to be the editor of a science magazine called Armchair Science.

How "Churchill's Toyshop" Started

MD1 began as a small part of a larger group called "Military Intelligence Research" (MIR). This group was set up in 1939 by Lt-Col Joe Holland. He brought in Jefferis, who was an expert with explosives. Jefferis was put in charge of a special part of MIR called MIR(c). This section was meant to create weapons for unusual types of fighting.

Jefferis needed special magnets for one of his ideas. He asked Stuart Macrae to help. Macrae first worked as an outside helper, but soon he joined the team full-time as Jefferis's assistant. Together, they invented the limpet mine. This was a timed explosive that could stick to the bottom of a ship.

MIR(c) started in a small room in London. Macrae soon found more space for offices and workshops. After a bombing raid, the team moved to a large country house called The Firs. This house was near the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, at his country home, Chequers. At The Firs, they designed and even made some of their new weapons.

During the early part of the war, sometimes called the "phoney war," MIR(c) worked on a floating mine. Churchill wanted to use these mines to stop German ships on their rivers. The plan was called Operation Royal Marine.

Becoming Ministry of Defence 1

Churchill was very impressed with Jefferis's work. He pushed for Jefferis to get a promotion.

In November 1940, MIR(C) became its own department. It was now part of the Ministry of Defence. This meant it was directly under the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, who was also the Minister of Defence. Because Churchill was also in charge of money, he could make sure MD1 had the funds it needed.

Churchill, along with his science advisor Professor Lindemann and military advisor General Ismay, protected MD1. This was important because MD1's work sometimes overlapped with other government groups. Jefferis was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel, and Macrae became a Major.

Other clever people joined MD1 too. One was Stewart Blacker, who had invented a weapon called the Blacker Bombard.

When the war ended and Churchill left office, MD1 was taken over by another ministry. It was soon closed down. Many felt this was unfair. The special machines used by MD1 were sent away to be scrapped. Jefferis later went to work for the Pakistan Army.

Amazing Inventions

MD1 created many clever and sometimes strange weapons. Here are some of them:

• Sticky bomb – This was an anti-tank weapon. It was a glass ball filled with explosive material. The outside was covered in a very strong glue. The idea was to stick it to a tank before it exploded.
• PIAT – This was a hand-held weapon used to fight tanks. It worked like a giant spring-loaded gun. It launched a special bomb that could pierce tank armor.
• Limpet mine – This was a mine for ships. It had magnets that let it stick to the side or bottom of a ship. It was named after a type of sea snail called a limpet, which also sticks to things.
• W bomb – This was a floating mine designed for rivers. It could sink and then explode later. It was used to damage bridges and ships on German rivers. About 1,700 of these were used.
• Clam – This was a tiny version of the limpet mine. It was a small magnetic explosive that could be set to go off after a delay.
• Beehive charge – This was a special type of explosive that focused its blast in one direction. It had guide rods to make sure it was placed correctly. It was named for its shape.
• Time pencil – This was a small, pencil-shaped timer. It was used to set off explosives after a certain amount of time. People also called them "Switches."
• Lead Delay Switch ("Switch No. 9") – This was a more exact timer. It worked by using a special lead metal that slowly changed shape over time.
• M Mine – This was a small anti-personnel mine. It was made of cardboard and would explode when someone stepped on it.
• "Johnnie Walker" bomb – This was a large bomb designed to attack ships underwater. It would dive and surface in the water until it hit the less protected bottom of a ship. Then, its powerful explosive would go off.

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