This year marks 80 years since Victory in Europe (VE Day), commemorating the end of World War II in Europe and the Allies’ triumph over the Axis Powers.
UK manufacturing capabilities played a huge role in winning the Battle of Britain – and subsequently WWII. The nation’s adaptability, resource management and workforce flexibility on the manufacturing front was utterly vital, and these were organised along more socialistic lines. RAF Fighter Command was heavily outnumbered in July 1940, but UK’s ability to increase production meant that, by October, the Royal Air Force had more planes than the German Luftwaffe.
Ahead of the 80th anniversary of VE Day on May 8th, 2025, Digital Journal spoke to Carl Johnson at Anglo Scottish, to provide insight into the challenges and trends faced by UK manufacturers in WWII and how their actions can provide inspiration for today’s manufacturers.
Adaptability under pressure
According to Johnson: “Perhaps the largest lesson we can learn from the UK’s wartime manufacturing is the industry’s ability to adapt under pressure. Factories known for making consumer goods rapidly converted to produce military equipment, supporting the wider war effort and maintaining productivity in the face of strife.
While Britain in 2025 does not face such overt pressure, the need for increased versatility is inherent in the number of manufacturers that faced supply chain disruption in the wake of Brexit, COVID-19 and recent tension in Ukraine and the Red Sea.”
Johnson adds: “Manufacturers in the modern age must demonstrate the ability to pivot and adapt quickly, particularly in relation to their supply chain. By localising production where possible and using a diverse range of suppliers, today’s manufacturers can insulate themselves against worldwide geopolitical tensions and increase their versatility and adaptability.”
Collaboration between government and industry
Another one of Britain’s keys to success in terms of their WWII manufacturing was collaboration between government and industry, a form of corporatism that has its roots in the labour movement. According to Johnson this is something that today’s parties could learn a thing or two from. He says: “During WWII, central planning from the government, coupled with strong leadership, enabled British manufacturing to circumnavigate the crises it faced.
“This trend enabled efficient resource allocation and mass workforce mobilisation towards a shared goal. The manufacturing industry’s repeated calls for an Industrial Strategy – which has finally been implemented by the current government – indicate a schism between government and industry in recent years.”
Further in relation to modern times, Johnson thinks: “Though the introduction of the new Invest 2035 strategy has begun the process of bringing government and industry closer together, looming net-zero targets and closer collaboration between government and industry could help make the path towards our shared goals a little bit easier.”
Workforce expansion and inclusion
While the majority of British men were away fighting, women stepped up and did a vital job, handling production and enabling manufacturing productivity to remain high. Training was issued to female workers to bring them into the picture and up to speed, with 950,000 British women working in munitions factories to help bridge a daunting skills gap.
Johnson is of the view: “Today’s picture might not be such an obvious fix – but the skills gap remains, with manufacturers across the country continuing to report a shortage of skilled workers. This time, the approach needs to be very different – the UK needs significant investment in apprenticeships and retraining to fill the skills gap, helping establish viable pathways into manufacturing careers to keep our sector operating as it should.”
Efficiency through standardisation
Another way that British manufacturing was able to endure during wartime was through standardisation. Johnson’s opinion is: “By simplifying product designs and unifying parts and processes, British factories were able to speed up production, minimise the number of components being used and expedite worker training.
One such example is in the production of the Spitfire aircraft, for which standardised tooling and blueprints were introduced to ensure parts sourcing was as simple as possible and productivity was maintained.”
How can today’s businesses benefit?
Johnson’s view is: “Think accelerated logistics, tighter quality control and reduced training time for workers – all things that could help today’s manufacturers gain a comptitive advantage.”
Doing more with less
Johnson’s last point is: “The wartime mindset of ‘doing more with less,’ offers a lesson that feels particularly prudent for modern businesses, although for different reasons. WWII necessitated innovation through scarcity, with shortages of raw materials like steel, rubber and aluminium combated via salvage and recycling campaigns, using alternative materials to great effect.”
Johnson continues: “In today’s manufacturing space, the idea of creatively using resources is still hugely relevant, even if the root cause might be different. Where WWII factories might’ve been subject to fuel rationing, today’s are concerned with energy efficiency.”
This connects with current environmental concerns: “The idea of the circular economy – using recycled or renewable materials and making products easier to repair and manufacture, rather than following the traditional pathway of take/make/use/dispose – is becoming increasingly popular, supporting similar principles.”
Johnson’s treatise is with net zero deadlines looming ever closer, almost every manufacturer could benefit by maximising their yield from the resources they have.
There are many things that today’s manufacturers can learn from WWII. The circumstances we face now are very different, yet many of the outcomes are similar.
