Directorate of Miscellaneous Weapons Development

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The Directorate of Miscellaneous Weapons Development (DMWD), known colloquially as the Wheezers and Dodgers, was a department of the Admiralty responsible for the development of various unconventional weapons during World War II. The nickname was derived from their original title, the Inspectorate of Anti-Aircraft Weapons and Devices, IAAWD, which was corrupted to Instigator of Anti-Aircraft Wheezes and Dodges.

The Director was Sir Charles Goodeve, who was also responsible for its expansion from an Inspectorate and widening of its role. Among the staff was Lieutenant-Commander N. S. Norway, RNVR, better known by his pen name, Nevil Shute and renowned motor racing photographer Louis Klementaski.

DMWD was responsible for a number of devices of varying practicality and success, many of which were based on solid fuel rocket propulsion. As might be expected of a small, dynamic and highly experimental group, their output encompassed both resounding successes and sublimely comical failures, notable among which were the Panjandrum rocket-propelled beach defence demolition weapon and Hajile, a rocket powered alternative to parachutes for dropping materiel. A scheme to camouflage bodies of water, used as navigation markers by bombers, involved the spreading of coal dust from a ship, ironically HMS Persil, which scheme failed due to the actions of wind and tide but did produce some confusion when the coal-covered waters were mistaken for tarmac in the blackout.

Its successful and important developments included the Hedgehog anti-submarine weapon and Squid anti-submarine mortar, as well as the Harvey Projector, an anti-aircraft rocket battery designed to be mountable on naval vessels and the system of degaussing used to protect ships against magnetic mines, and above all an instrumental role in developing parts of the Mulberry harbour used in the D-Day landings.

Several experimental weapons were trialled at Brean Down Fort, based at HMS Birnbeck. Some of the better known weapons trialed were the seaborne Bouncing bomb designed specifically to bounce to a target such as across water to avoid torpedo nets, Anti-submarine missile AMUCK and the expendable acoustic emitter (designed to confuse noise seeking torpedos).^[1]