Appendix 1 Organization of Advice on Biological Warfare (1947) 188 Outline Chronology 1925 Geneva Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use of Gas and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare 1934 July Wickham Steed publishes allegations of German biological warfare testing on London Underground and Paris Metro. Ledingham, Douglas and Topley write a secret report on the Wickham Steed allegations for the Committee of Imperial Defence 1936 November Committee of Imperial Defence Subcommittee on Bacteriological Warfare. First meeting 1937 April Committee of Imperial Defence Subcommittee on Bacteriological Warfare proposes Emergency Public Health Service. Eventually becomes Public Health Laboratory Service 1938 May Subcommittee on Bacteriological Warfare renamed Subcommittee on Emergency Bacteriological Services August Subcommittee on Emergency Bacteriological Services becomes Committee on Emergency Public Health Laboratory Services 1939 September Start of Second World War: Germany invades Poland Sept.–Feb. Prime Minister Chamberlain approves of defensive research (1940) to be undertaken on biological warfare at National Institute of Medical Research November War Cabinet establishes BW Committee 1940 February War Cabinet BW Committee. First meeting. Considers Banting’s memorandum proposing offensive biological warfare research. Hankey invites Ledingham to draw up a research plan with no intention of taking offensive measures but which was not to exclude offensive research which might improve defence May Churchill becomes Prime Minister July Hankey proposes his ‘step further’ to expand the biological warfare research programme without consulting War Cabinet November Fildes arrives at new Biology Department Porton 1942 January Cabinet Defence Committee affirms policy to undertake research in order to be able to retaliate without undue delay with biological weapons July, Sept. Tests of anthrax (N) bomb on Gruinard Island October N-bomb test at Penclawdd. Meeting of US biologists under Edwin B. Fred marks the start of the US biological warfare research programme 1943 April Operation Vegetarian (renamed Operation Aladdin) completed: 5 million anthrax-filled cattle cakes produced August Tests of anthrax (N) bomb on Gruinard Island November BW Committee supplemented by Policy Panel, Defence Panel and Operational Panel 1944 March Churchill approves order of US anthrax bombs to be placed 189 190 Outline Chronology c. June BW Committee dissolved. Inter-Services Subcommittee on Biological Warfare (ISSBW) established 1945 May Second World War in Europe ends as Germany surrenders July Atlee elected Prime Minister August Fildes leaves Biology Department Porton. Henderson becomes Superintendent of renamed Microbiology Research Department (MRD) October Cabinet Defence Committee approves continuation of biological warfare research in peacetime 1946 July Biological Research Advisory Board (BRAB) established November Air Staff issue first requirement for a biological bomb (OR/1006) 1947 January Defence Research Policy Committee (DRPC) established. ISSBW report that biological warfare had highest priority and research was of equivalent priority to atomic science March Chiefs of Staff label research on offensive aspects of biological warfare as essential April ISSBW reconstituted as Chiefs of Staff BW Subcommittee. BRAB reject feasibility of initial Air Staff requirement for a biological bomb July Chiefs of Staff set policy of preparedness to use weapons of mass destruction August Soviet Union test explode their first atomic bomb November Air Staff Requirement for a strategic toxic weapon (OR/1065) approved. DRPC objectives for biological warfare R&D reported to the Chiefs of Staff: a strategic biological weapon; means of storage or large-scale production of agents; defensive measures 1948 December Operation Harness trials commence off Antigua 1949 February Operation Harness ends June BW Sub-Committee informed of Tripartite division of labour in biological warfare research November DPRC report that Experimental Plant No. 1 in partial operation at MRD. DRPC recommend work to continue on design of Experimental Plant No. 2 but defer approval to erect plant Year end Annual Report on Biological Warfare to the Chiefs of Staff flags uncertainties over potential of biological weapons. DRPC request from BW Subcommittee an update on advantages and disadvan- tages of biological warfare in comparison with atomic warfare 1950 February BW Subcommittee propose a reduced scale Experimental Plant No. 2 May BW Subcommittee respond to DRPC request for update on biological warfare with recommendation to continue offensive research and to build Experimental Plant No. 2 June Start of Korean War as North Korea invades South Korea. Chiefs of Staff affirm existing biological warfare retaliatory policy and agree to construction of Experimental Plant No. 2 subject to DRPC approval December DRPC approve building of Experimental Plant No. 2 1951 Summer New facilities open at the MRD. Churchill re-elected as Prime Minister Outline Chronology 191 1952 April Operation Harness trials off coast of Scotland May BRAB informed that DRPC had reversed decision to commence building of Experimental Plant No. 2 June Chiefs of Staff Global Strategy paper issued recommending increased reliance on nuclear deterrent and that the Allies should be able to retaliate with chemical or biological weapons. Chiefs of Staff restrict offensive biological warfare research to long-term possibilities July BRAB informed that Government policy was to deploy biological warfare only in a retaliatory capacity October British atomic bomb test 1953 February Chiefs of Staff issue a directive on biological warfare: continue research to determine the risk of biological warfare; defensive measures to be established; offensive research restricted to long-term possibilities May Operation Hesperus trials off coast of Scotland July Korean ceasefire signed November Minister of Supply issues a directive on biological warfare emphasizing defensive research but still affirming that some retaliatory capacity was required 1954 March DRPC Review of Defence R&D reports that development of biological weapons has been disappointing. Operation Ozone trials off the Bahamas July Air Staff Requirement OR/1065 cancelled by Air Ministry. Replaced by more general Air Staff target to continue research on problems associated with biological weapons with no definite specification for weapons or other equipment October Cabinet Defence Committee agrees to put defensive preparations against biological warfare first but to continue to endorse a retaliatory capability. Programmes Subcommittee of DRPC suggests defensive and offensive biological warfare research unjustifiable. Operation Negation trials commence off the Bahamas November Revised DRPC Review of R&D recommends that UK limits its research to defence against biological attack 1955 March Operation Negation ends. Eden becomes Prime Minister July BW Subcommittee dissolved November Sir Frederick Brundrett, chair of DRPC, proposes to stop all expenditure on MRD. Proposal not adopted by DRPC. December BRAB informed of DRPC recommendation that biological warfare research be restricted to defence. Experimental Plant No. 2 deferred 1956 January DRPC Review of R&D for 1955 reports that biological warfare research was mainly defensively aimed July Cabinet agrees to abandon large-scale production of nerve gas, the development of nerve gas weapons and destroy the residue of the Second World War stockpile of other chemical weapons and agents October DRPC interpret the Cabinet decision regarding chemical agents as applying to biological warfare and request that Cabinet alter requirement for a retaliatory capability 192 Outline Chronology November Admiralty refuses use of HMS Ben Lomond for future biological warfare sea trials 1957 MRD renamed the Microbiology Research Establishment (MRE) January Macmillan becomes Prime Minister February DRPC Staff ad hoc working party to investigate significance of chemical and biological warfare May Britain test explodes hydrogen bomb June Offensive Evaluation Committee first meeting mentions possibilities of Large Area Concept (LAC) 1958 February DRPC Staff ad hoc working party reports significance of LAC as a potential threat but that the overall research effort of tripartite allies was not justified July Chief Scientist, Wansbrough-Jones, labels LAC research as the essence of the biological warfare programme. Chiefs of Staff Planning Staff label the deterrent effect of biological weapons as insignificant and the threat of an attack as negligible. Report of first large-scale trials to test LAC using zinc cadmium sulphide during BRAB meeting. Mentions that two trials had taken place in 1957 1959 January DRPC consider abandonment of biological and chemical warfare research but reject this proposal November MRE transferred to War Office after dissolution of Ministry of Supply 1960 September DRPC acknowledge their acceptance of the threat from LAC and recommend that research continue at the same level until further progress had been made 1961 April Chiefs of Staff request an operational assessment of chemical and biological warfare September The Chief Scientific Advisor and Chair of DRPC, Solly Zuckerman, orders a review of biological and chemical weapons policy (the Todd Panel) November BRAB label the need for early warning of a biological warfare attack as the outstanding defence problem December Chief Scientist, Walter Cawood, establishes a subcommittee of DRPC to combine