Vickers; A History

London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1962. Presumed First Edition, First printing. Hardcover. Good/Good. xxiii, [1], 416 pages. Illustrations. Chapter Notes. Appendix A, B. C, and F. List of Abbreviations. Index. DJ has wear, tears, chips, and soiling. Tear inside front board. Some endpaper and page soiling noted. J. D. Scott was a trained historian who had worked for a number of years in the Cabinet Office on the Official History of the Second World War, specializing in the development and production of munitions. He was a co-author of The Administration of War Production and The Development of Weapons. This history was written at the invitation of the Board of Vickers, this history traces the rise of Vickers as a Sheffield steel firm in the nineteenth century, it's entry into the armament business in the 1880s, and its emergence in 1897 as the only company in Britain able to manufacture a battleship complete with armour, engines and guns. "Vickers" is both a company history and a contribution to national history. Well illustrated with contemporary photos. Among topics addressed are: Armaments, Shipbuilding, Warship, Imperial Defence, Aircraft Industry, Artillery, Naval Weapons, Submarines, Torpedoes, Ordnance, Airships, Armstrong Whitworth, Civil Aircraft, Rearmament, Tanks, Munitions, Wallis Weapons, Engineering, and Turbo-Jets. Vickers was a British engineering company that existed from 1828 until 1999. It was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by Edward Vickers and his father-in-law, and soon became famous for casting church bells. The company went public in 1867, acquired more businesses, and began branching out into military hardware and shipbuilding. In 1911, the company expanded into aircraft manufacture and opened a flying school. They expanded even further into electrical and railway manufacturing, and in 1928 acquired an interest in the Supermarine. Beginning in the 1960s, various parts of the company were nationalized, and in 1999 the rest of the company was acquired by Rolls-Royce. Vickers was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by Edward Vickers and his father-in-law George Naylor in 1828. Naylor was a partner in the foundry Naylor & Sanderson and Vickers' brother William owned a steel rolling operation. Edward's investments in the railway industry allowed him to gain control of the company, based at Millsands and known as Naylor Vickers and Company. It began by making steel castings and quickly became famous for casting church bells. In 1854 Vickers' sons Thomas (a militia officer known familiarly as 'Colonel Tom') and Albert joined the business and their considerable talents - Tom Vickers as a metallurgist and Albert as a team-builder and salesman - were key to its subsequent rapid development. The company went public in 1867 as Vickers, Sons & Company and gradually acquired more businesses, branching out into various sectors. In 1868 Vickers began to manufacture marine shafts, in 1872 they began casting marine propellers and in 1882 they set up a forging press. Vickers produced their first armour plate in 1888 and their first artillery piece in 1890. Vickers bought out the Barrow-in-Furness shipbuilder The Barrow Shipbuilding Company in 1897, acquiring its subsidiary the Maxim Nordenfelt Guns and Ammunition Company at the same time, to become Vickers, Sons & Maxim. With these acquisitions, Vickers could now produce a complete selection of products, from ships and marine fittings to armour plate and a whole suite of ordnance. In 1901 the Royal Navy's first submarine, Holland 1, was launched at the Naval Construction Yard. In 1902 Vickers took a half share in the famous Clyde shipyard John Brown & Company. Further diversification occurred in 1901 with the acquisition of a proposed business which was incorporated as The Wolseley Tool and Motor Car Company and in 1905 the goodwill and patent rights of the Siddeley car. In 1911 a controlling interest was acquired in torpedo manufacturer Whitehead & Company. In 1911 the company name was changed to Vickers Ltd and expanded its operations into aircraft manufacture by the formation of Vickers Ltd (Aviation Department) and a Vickers School of Flying was opened at Brooklands, Surrey on 20 January 1912. In 1919, the British Westinghouse electrical company was taken over as the Metropolitan Vickers Electrical Company; Metrovick. At the same time they came into Metropolitan's railway interests.