The Under-Secretary of State for Air was a junior ministerial post in the United Kingdom Government, supporting the Secretary of State for Air in his role of managing the Royal Air Force. It was established on 10 January 1919, replacing the previous short-lived posts of Parliamentary Secretary to the Air Board and Parliamentary Secretary to the Air Council.

Parliamentary Secretary to the Air Board, 1916–1917

edit
Name Entered office Left office
John Baird 1916 1917

Parliamentary Secretary to the Air Council, 1917–1919

edit
Name Entered office Left office
John Baird 1917 1919

Under-Secretary of State for Air, 1919–1964

edit
Name Entered office Left office
J. E. B. Seely 1919 1919
George Tryon 1919 1920
The Marquess of Londonderry 1920 1921
The Lord Gorell 1921 1922
The Duke of Sutherland 1922 1924
William Leach 1924 1924
Sir Philip Sassoon, Bt 1924 1929
Frederick Montague 1929 1931
Sir Philip Sassoon, Bt 1931 1937
Anthony Muirhead 1937 1938
Harold Balfour 1938 1941
Harold Balfour
and The Lord Sherwood
20 July 1941 21 November 1944
The Lord Sherwood
and Rupert Brabner
21 November 1944 27 March 1945
The Lord Sherwood 27 March 12 April 1945
The Lord Sherwood
and Hon. Quintin Hogg
12 April 1945 23 May 1945
Hon. Quintin Hogg
and The Earl Beatty
26 May 1945 4 August 1945
John Strachey 1945 1946
Geoffrey de Freitas 1946 1950
Aidan Crawley 1950 1951
Nigel Birch 1951 1952
Hon. George Ward 1952 1955
Christopher Soames 1955 1957
Ian Orr-Ewing 1957 1959
Airey Neave 1959 1959
William Taylor 1959 1962
Julian Ridsdale 1962 1964

Minister of State for the Air Force, 1964–1967

edit
Name Entered office Left office
Hon. Hugh Fraser 1964 1964
The Lord Shackleton 1964 7 January 1967

Under-Secretary of State for the Air Force, 1964–1981

edit
Name Entered office Left office
Julian Ridsdale 1964 1964
Bruce Millan 1964 1966
Merlyn-Rees 1966 1968
The Lord Winterbottom 1968 24 June 1970
Antony Lambton 24 June 1970 5 June 1973
Anthony Kershaw 5 June 1973 8 January 1974
The Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal 8 January 1974 8 March 1974
Brynmor John 8 March 1974 14 April 1976
James Wellbeloved 14 April 1976 6 May 1979
Geoffrey Pattie 6 May 1979 29 May 1981


Sources

edit
  • D. Butler and G. Butler, Twentieth Century British Political Facts 1900–2000