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
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 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	1945–1949
Sir G. Turner	1949–1956
Sir Edward Playfair	1956–1960
Richard Way	1960–1963
A. Drew	1963–1964