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 Name PeriodEvan Nepean 1794–1795William Huskisson 1795–1801
See Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies for the period 1801-1854.
1854–1947 Name PeriodHenry Roberts 1854–1855Frederick Peel 1855–1857Sir John Ramsden, 5th Baronet 1857–1858Charles Hardinge, 2nd Viscount Hardinge 1858–March 1859James St Clair-Erskine, 3rd Earl of Rosslyn March 1859–June 1859George Robinson, 3rd Earl de Grey June 1859–January 1861Thomas Baring January 1861–July 1861George Robinson, 3rd Earl de Grey July 1861–1863Spencer Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington 1863–February 1866Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 5th Baron Dufferin and Claneboye February 1866–July 1866William Lygon Pakenham, 4th Earl of Longford July 1866–1868Thomas Baring, 2nd Baron Northbrook 1868–1872Henry Petty-FitzMaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne 1872–1874George Herbert, 13th Earl of Pembroke 1874–1875George Cadogan, 5th Earl Cadogan 1875–1878William Keppel, Viscount Bury 1878–1880Albert Parker, 3rd Earl of Morley 1880–1885William Keppel, Viscount Bury 1885–February 1886William Mansfield, 2nd Baron Sandhurst February 1886–August 1886Robert Harris, 4th Baron Harris August 1886–1890Adelbert Cust, 3rd Earl Brownlow 1890–1892William Mansfield, 2nd Baron Sandhurst 1892–January 1895Robert Collier, 2nd Baron Monkswell January 1895–July 1895St John Brodrick July 1895–1898George Wyndham 1898–1900George Somerset, 3rd Baron Raglan 1900–1902Albert Yorke, 6th Earl of Hardwicke 1902–1903Richard Hely-Hutchinson, 6th Earl of Donoughmore 1903–1905Newton Wallop, 6th Earl of Portsmouth 1905–1908Auberon Herbert, 9th Baron Lucas of Crudwell 1908–1911J. E. B. Seely 1911–1912Harold Tennant 1912–1916Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby 1916Ian Macpherson 1916–1918William Peel, 2nd Viscount Peel 1919–1921Robert Sanders 1921–1922Walter Guinness 1922–1923Wilfrid Ashley 1923–1924Clement Attlee 1924Richard Onslow, 5th Earl of Onslow 1924–1928George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 5th Duke of Sutherland 1928–1929Herbrand Sackville, 9th Earl De La Warr 1929–1930Dudley Aman, 1st Baron Marley 1930–1931Office vacant 1931James Stanhope, 7th Earl Stanhope 1931–1934Donald Howard, 3rd Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal 1934–1939Geoffrey FitzClarence, 5th Earl of Munster 1939John Lyttelton, 9th Viscount Cobham 1939–1940Henry Page Croft, 1st Baron Croft and Sir Edward Grigg 1940–1942Henry Page Croft, 1st Baron Croft and Arthur Henderson 1942–1943Henry Page Croft, 1st Baron Croft 1943–1945Harry Nathan, 1st Baron Nathan 1945–1946Frank Pakenham, Baron Pakenham 1946–April 1947
In April 1947 the office was combined with that of Financial Secretary to the War Office.
Financial secretaries to the War Office, 1947–1964 Name PeriodJohn Freeman 1947–?Michael Stewart ?–1951Woodrow Wyatt 1951James Hutchison 1951–1954Fitzroy Maclean 1954–1957Julian Amery 1957–1958Hugh Fraser 1958–1960James Ramsden 1960–1963Peter Kirk 1963–April 1964
Office reorganised 1 April 1964
Permanent under-secretaries of state for war, 1854–1966 Name PeriodG. C. Mundy 1854–1857Sir Benjamin Hawes 1857–1862Sir Edward Lugard 1862–1871John Vivian.London Gazette, 29 August 1871 1871–1878Sir Ralph Wood Thompson 1878–1895Sir Arthur Haliburton 1895–1897Sir Ralph Henry Knox 1897–1901Sir Edward Ward 1901–1914Sir Reginald Brade 1914–1920Sir Herbert Creedy 1920–1939Sir P. J. Grigg 1939–1942Sir Frederick Bovenschen and Sir Eric Speed 1942–1945Sir E. Speed 1945–1948Sir G. Turner 1949–1956Sir Edward Playfair 1956–1960Sir Richard Way 1960–1963A. Drew 1963–1964
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