Under-Secretary of State for War

The position of Under-Secretary of State for War was a British government position, first applied to Evan Nepean (appointed in 1794). In 1801 the offices for War and the Colonies were merged and the post became that of Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies. The position was re-instated in 1854 and remained until 1947, when it was combined with that of Financial Secretary to the War Office. In 1964 the War Office, Admiralty and Air Ministry were merged to form the Ministry of Defence, and the post was abolished.

Contents

Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State for War, 1794-1801

Name Period
Evan Nepean 1794–1795
William Huskisson 1795–1801

See Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies for the period 1801-1854.

Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State for War, 1854-1947

Name Period
Henry Roberts 1854–1855
Frederick Peel 1855–1857
Sir John Ramsden, Bt 1857–1858
The Viscount Hardinge 1858–March 1859
The Earl of Rosslyn March 1859–June 1859
The Earl de Grey June 1859–January 1861
Hon. Thomas Baring January 1861–July 1861
The Earl de Grey July 1861–1863
The Marquess of Hartington 1863–February 1866
The Lord Dufferin and Claneboye February 1866–July 1866
The Earl of Longford July 1866–1868
The Lord Northbrook 1868–1872
The Marquess of Lansdowne 1872–1874
The Earl of Pembroke 1874–1875
The Earl Cadogan 1875–1878
Viscount Bury 1878–1880
The Earl of Morley 1880–1885
Viscount Bury 1885–February 1886
The Lord Sandhurst February 1886–August 1886
The Lord Harris August 1886–1890
The Earl Brownlow 1890–1892
The Lord Sandhurst 1892–January 1895
The Lord Monkswell January 1895–July 1895
Hon. St John Brodrick July 1895–1898
George Wyndham 1898–1900
The Lord Raglan 1900–1902
The Earl of Hardwicke 1902–1903
The Earl of Donoughmore 1903–1905
The Earl of Portsmouth 1905–1908
The Lord Lucas of Crudwell 1908–1911
J. E. B. Seely 1911–1912
Harold Tennant 1912–1916
The Earl of Derby 1916
Ian Macpherson 1916–1919
The Viscount Peel 1919–1921
Robert Sanders 1921–1922
Hon. Walter Guinness 1922–1923
Wilfrid Ashley 1923–1924
Clement Attlee 1924
The Earl of Onslow 1924–1928
The Duke of Sutherland 1928–1929
The Earl De La Warr 1929–1930
The Lord Marley 1930–1931
Office vacant 1931
The Earl Stanhope 1931–1934
The Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal 1934–1939
The Earl of Munster 1939
The Viscount Cobham 1939–1940
Sir Henry Page Croft, Bt
and Sir Edward Grigg		 1940–1942
Sir Henry Page Croft, Bt
and Arthur Henderson		 1942–1943
Sir Henry Page Croft, Bt 1943–1945
The Lord Nathan 1945–1946
The Lord Pakenham 1946–April 1947

In April 1947 the office was combined with that of Financial Secretary to the War Office.

Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State for War and Financial Secretary to the War Office, 1947-1964

Name Period
John Freeman 1947–?
Michael Stewart  ?–1951
Woodrow Wyatt 1951
James Hutchison 1951–1954
Fitzroy Maclean 1954–1957
Julian Amery 1957–1958
Hon. Hugh Fraser 1958–1960
James Ramsden 1960–1963
Peter Kirk 1963–April 1964

Office reorganised 1 April 1964

Permanent Under-Secretaries of State for War, 1854-1966

Name Period
G. C. Mundy 1854–1857
Sir Benjamin Hawes 1857–1862
Sir Edward Lugard 1862–1871
J. C. Vivian 1871–1878
Sir R. W. Thomson 1878–1895
Sir Arthur Haliburton 1895–1897
Sir Ralph Henry Knox 1897–1901
Sir Edward Ward 1901–1914
Sir Reginald Brade 1914–1920
Sir Herbert Creedy 1920–1939
Sir P. J. Grigg 1939–1942
Sir Frederick Bovenschen and Sir Eric Speed 1942–1945
Sir E. Speed 1945–1949
Sir G. Turner 1949–1956
Sir Edward Playfair 1956–1960
Richard Way 1960–1963
A. Drew 1963–1964