Under-Secretary of State for War
# 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

| 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 |
| The Lord Croft and Sir Edward Grigg | 1940–1942 |
| The Lord Croft and Arthur Henderson | 1942–1943 |
| The Lord Croft | 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 |
| John Vivian. | 1871–1878 |
| Sir Ralph Wood Thompson | 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 | 1945–1948 |
| Sir G. Turner | 1949–1956 |
| Sir Edward Playfair | 1956–1960 |
| Sir Richard Way | 1960–1963 |
| A. Drew | 1963–1964 |
