HN 2: The British and their Works

the Volkswagenwerk had received the instruction to eliminate
the repair backlog on British vehicles which had accumulated as
a result of the imposed break, and to replenish the REME parts
store. Because this priority order had clearly been neglected,
resident officer F. T. Neal, Alisdair McInnes’ successor, reminded
the management of its duties. With his order of 24th April 1947 he
made it clear that a production increase going beyond 1,000
cars must impair neither the supply of parts nor the commanded
programme. After a discussion between Colonel
Radclyffe, Major Hirst and Fritz Wenk, the VAW had meanwhile
been informed that the Volkswagen plant would initially have
to meet the demands of the military government, before
material might be used for surplus production. 77
It was precisely this that gave the factory management headaches
as they waited anxiously for the quotas promised by
Wenk. At the beginning of May 1947, production for civilian
requirements had to be helped out with material provided by
the British, and for this reason the Economic Administrative
Office was informed about the existing danger of a materials
stop. A stopgap came up against problems because the stages of
appeal took up too much time. Wenk called upon Purchasing to
institute a special campaign, promising his full support. By the
end of the year he announced quotas for 1,500 vehicles with
which firstly the suppliers, then the mining industry and the
authorities, and finally the open market were to be supplied. 78
The German management’s high-handed approach was severely
criticised by Major Hirst. At the meeting at the beginning of
June 1947 Ivan Hirst warned that the design of the programme
and the release of all vehicles were discussed and decided "at
this conference table". No German or British external department
was entitled to issue instructions to the management.
Furthermore the material in stock was destined exclusively
for the vehicles of the British military government. Hirst also
stipulated that vehicles for the German economy or for export
could not be produced until the allocated quotas had actually
been delivered. Anticipatory production was strictly forbidden. 79
The surplus production remained the property of the Military
Government and was to be provided with the civilian suppliers
after receipt of the material. This was so much the more embarrassing
since the suppliers had been promised the vehicles in
April 1947. Wenk negotiated in this matter with the Bipartite
Economic Control Group and submitted, via the director general
of the "Hauptverwaltung Straßen und Verkehr" (Central
administration for Roads and Transportation), a petition on to
the Highways & Highway Transport Branch of the CCG, which
was ultimately responsible for the release and distribution of
vehicles. 80 However, his efforts were unsuccessful, partly because
the Industry Division had meanwhile successfully
intervened against the intention of entrusting control of the
company to the VAW. With its resolution of 16th June 1947 the
Board of Control left production under its supervision, but
agreed it with the VAW. 81