AVM Sir Ralph Sorley became MD, DH Propellers, in 1952 and took the firm into IR AAMs. On 1/3/54 US fired a lightweight nuke around which MX could be designed (to be Atlas ICBM). RAE had persevered with ballistics, despite Ministers abandoning V2 interest by 1948. They extracted research funds for ROF Woolwich "sounding rocket" (to be) Skylark, 5/54, and initiated dribble funds for ballistic vehicle study at EE and DH Props.
Comet 1 was grounded 4/54. Precisely in parallel with Justice Cohen's investigation (Report, 2/55) Churchill was persuaded by Air Marshals to Approve, 1/3/55 (to be) Avro 730 supersonic bomber, Blue Streak IRBM, Blue Steel ASM and Yellow Sun H-Bomb. (To be) Firestreak had been confirmed for Javelins and (to be) Lightning F.1 and Lostock Factory re-tooled for it. On 30/7/54 US agreed to licence Intellectual Property (guidance and propulsion) and make a $-contribution to UK's IRBM, which was assigned to DH Props. by default, as EE chose not to be involved ("risk of Nationalisation").
So, the DH Enterprise must be sustained. 19 Comet 4s were ordered for BOAC, 17/3/55; £10Mn. Study was provided by MoS to scheme Comet 5/D.H.118 (which BOAC encouraged until they bought 15 707-400, 10/56, then discarded DH 2/57). Incomplete Comet 2 airframes were turned into RAF transports. None of that would have happened if DH Props had not moved into GW.
(Main source: R.Twigge,Early Devt. of GW in UK, Harwood, 1993. As TV says, the world was less litigious in 1955 and I know of no vast cash sums flowing to thwarted Comet 1 operators).