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.

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

NamePeriod
Evan Nepean1794–1795
William Huskisson1795–1801

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

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

NamePeriod
Henry Roberts1854–1855
Frederick Peel1855–1857
Sir John Ramsden, Bt1857–1858
The Viscount Hardinge1858–March 1859
The Earl of RosslynMarch 1859–June 1859
The Earl de GreyJune 1859–January 1861
Hon. Thomas BaringJanuary 1861–July 1861
The Earl de GreyJuly 1861–1863
The Marquess of Hartington1863–February 1866
The Lord Dufferin and ClaneboyeFebruary 1866–July 1866
The Earl of LongfordJuly 1866–1868
The Lord Northbrook1868–1872
The Marquess of Lansdowne1872–1874
The Earl of Pembroke1874–1875
The Earl Cadogan1875–1878
Viscount Bury1878–1880
The Earl of Morley1880–1885
Viscount Bury1885–February 1886
The Lord SandhurstFebruary 1886–August 1886
The Lord HarrisAugust 1886–1890
The Earl Brownlow1890–1892
The Lord Sandhurst1892–January 1895
The Lord MonkswellJanuary 1895–July 1895
Hon. St John BrodrickJuly 1895–1898
George Wyndham1898–1900
The Lord Raglan1900–1902
The Earl of Hardwicke1902–1903
The Earl of Donoughmore1903–1905
The Earl of Portsmouth1905–1908
The Lord Lucas of Crudwell1908–1911
J. E. B. Seely1911–1912
Harold Tennant1912–1916
The Earl of Derby1916
Ian Macpherson1916–1919
The Viscount Peel1919–1921
Robert Sanders1921–1922
Hon. Walter Guinness1922–1923
Wilfrid Ashley1923–1924
Clement Attlee1924
The Earl of Onslow1924–1928
The Duke of Sutherland1928–1929
The Earl De La Warr1929–1930
The Lord Marley1930–1931
Office vacant1931
The Earl Stanhope1931–1934
The Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal1934–1939
The Earl of Munster1939
The Viscount Cobham1939–1940
The Lord Croft
and Sir Edward Grigg
1940–1942
The Lord Croft
and Arthur Henderson
1942–1943
The Lord Croft1943–1945
The Lord Nathan1945–1946
The Lord Pakenham1946–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

NamePeriod
John Freeman1947–?
Michael Stewart?–1951
Woodrow Wyatt1951
James Hutchison1951–1954
Fitzroy Maclean1954–1957
Julian Amery1957–1958
Hon. Hugh Fraser1958–1960
James Ramsden1960–1963
Peter Kirk1963–April 1964

Office reorganised 1 April 1964

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

NamePeriod
G. C. Mundy1854–1857
Sir Benjamin Hawes1857–1862
Sir Edward Lugard1862–1871
John Vivian.[1]1871–1878
Sir Ralph Wood Thompson1878–1895
Sir Arthur Haliburton1895–1897
Sir Ralph Henry Knox1897–1901
Sir Edward Ward1901–1914
Sir Reginald Brade1914–1920
Sir Herbert Creedy1920–1939
Sir P. J. Grigg1939–1942
Sir Frederick Bovenschen and Sir Eric Speed1942–1945
Sir E. Speed1945–1948
Sir G. Turner1949–1956
Sir Edward Playfair1956–1960
Sir Richard Way1960–1963
A. Drew1963–1964

References