Dstl staff have recreated the work of a World War Two unit which was set up to help stop U-boat attacks on Allied ships.

The Western Approaches Tactical Unit (WATU) was formed of officers and rating from the Women’s Royal Naval Service, or Wrens. Despite rudimentary facilities, more than 5,000 officers were trained by the women; operational analysts and war gamers who helped to win the Battle of the Atlantic.

Modern-day war-gamers from Dstl teamed up with today’s Royal Navy to recreate the work of the WATU at the Liverpool War Museum on Saturday.

Last weekend saw the anniversary of one of the most important achievements of the unit. The Wrens discovered – and successfully modeled a response to – a new acoustic torpedo. Their work foiled the German’s use of this weapon for the remainder of the war.

Alison Davis, from the software and model support team at Dstl, who is leading the project said:

We still use war gaming, just like the Wrens of the WATU, albeit in a modern form. Partnership with the Royal Navy and other front line commands allows us to look at a huge variety of scenarios and how we might respond.

The women of the WATU had a difficult job, bringing together doctrine and intelligence on what was basically the floor, but their efforts helped those fighting on the high seas hundreds of miles away.

Some of the families of Wrens who worked in Liverpool attended the event, as will Navy officers from HMS Collingwood.

After the war, Captain Roberts summed up the link between scientists and officers, something which continues to be vital today. He said:

One other lesson of this battle which I think is very important is the value of the closest and most constant co-operation between the staffs and the scientists.

Before the War, I do not think it ever occurred to any officer that gentlemen in grey flannel and sometimes thick spectacles would, in many respects, be able to teach him his business in directing operations of war, and would tell him things which he did not know about the killing of U-boats. I have no hesitation in saying, from some little experience of command in war, that the operational research scientist is an absolutely indispensable member of the fighting staff of any important headquarters in these modern times.

For more information visit the Liverpool War Museum website

The NHS will be ready to target up to £7 billion of opportunities a year over the next decade with its world-leading healthcare expertise, thanks to a new government support service.

The Healthcare UK Export Catalyst is set to help the NHS – the world’s largest integrated health system – to access global healthcare export opportunities, with worldwide spend in the sector growing at 7% a year.

Healthcare UK has already supported NHS organisations to win export business of more than £100 million over the last 2 years.

The catalyst sets out to boost this further, and comes as the result of a pilot with NHS organisations to identify the services that would best suit them as they embark upon their export journey. The service will provide continued support, right through to finding opportunities and winning contracts.

These services include personalised support for individual NHS organisations, training courses, peer-to-peer support, online resources and contacts with the governments vast network of overseas posts.

Sir Malcolm Grant, Chairman of NHS England, said:

In my view Healthcare UK have done a great job already in raising the profile of UK healthcare services and systems overseas. Their new Export Catalyst service will further enhance the service available to NHS Trusts in developing their export capabilities, so they can reach a wide range of international markets.

In the next year, the mission will be closely focused on providing a showcase for great British healthcare services, building a strong brand across the globe and realising the amazing export potential of our world-class health system.

The announcement comes a fortnight after the Department for International Trade launched the government’s new Export Strategy, which sets an ambition to increase exports as a percentage of GDP from 30% to 35%.

NHS organisations will have tailored export support in addition to local trade advisors and DIT’s network of HM Trade Commissioners to help them boost their overseas success.

As the NHS marks it’s 70th birthday, the UK is at the forefront of research and innovation across life sciences, healthcare, medical devices and digital technologies. Our world-renowned service is rated as the number one best integrated healthcare system in the world.

In total, Healthcare UK achieved over £700 million of export wins last year, supporting more than 100 exports projects for private and public UK suppliers across 17 countries, and delivering successful outward missions to India, China and the Middle East.

UK Trade Policy Minister George Hollingbery said:

“I am delighted to have hosted Ambassador Gerrish on his first visit to the UK since taking up his post. During our productive meeting, we reaffirmed our shared ambition to boost the trade relationship between the UK and US, which is already worth around £165 billion a year.

“The Chequers proposals give us the flexibility to negotiate free trade agreements after we leave the European Union, and the Government’s current public consultations on future FTAs, including with the US, are critical to our preparations.

“Our joint Trade and Investment Working Group has made good progress in laying the groundwork for such a negotiation and helping our businesses grow their exports, including through our joint SME dialogue and published toolkits. To maintain this positive momentum, we agreed the third SME dialogue will take place in New York in November and the working group will reconvene in Washington DC soon afterwards.

“We also discussed wider global trade challenges and the on-going U.S.-EU trade discussions. I expressed UK support for progress in these discussions, including finding resolutions to existing U.S.-EU trade disagreements, such as steel and aluminium tariffs.”

Deputy US Trade Representative Jeffrey Gerrish said:

“It was a pleasure meeting with Minister George Hollingbery today at the UK’s Department for International Trade. We had a productive meeting, discussing a range of U.S.-UK trade issues.

“The U.S.-UK trade and investment relationship is already substantial. We have two-way trade in goods and services of over $230 billion annually, with each of us being the other’s largest single supplier of services and a top supplier of goods. We are also both each other’s largest source of foreign investment with nearly $1.3 trillion invested in each other’s economies.

“Of course, we hope to further deepen and expand this beneficial relationship – both now and following Brexit.

“We reviewed the progress made so far through our U.S.-UK Trade and Investment Working Group, which has met four times since it was established by U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and UK Secretary of State Liam Fox last year. In November, the United States will host the UK delegation in Washington for the fifth meeting of the Working Group, as well as host the third meeting of the U.S.-UK Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) Dialogue in New York.

“We also discussed our broader trade relationship, including on-going discussions with the EU on reducing barriers to U.S.-EU trade and addressing the challenges faced by both our economies due to non-market-oriented policies and unfair trade practices of third countries.”