Under-Secretary of State for Air


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

NameEntered officeLeft office
John Baird19161917

Parliamentary Secretary to the Air Council, 1917–1919

NameEntered officeLeft office
John Baird19171919

Under-Secretary of State for Air, 1919–1964

NameEntered officeLeft office
J. E. B. Seely19191919
George Tryon19191920
The Marquess of Londonderry19201921
Lord Gorell19211922
The Duke of Sutherland19221924
William Leach19241924
Sir Philip Sassoon19241929
Frederick Montague19291931
Sir Philip Sassoon19311937
Anthony Muirhead19371938
Harold Balfour19381941
Harold Balfour
and Lord Sherwood		20 July 194121 November 1944
Lord Sherwood
and Rupert Brabner		21 November 194427 March 1945
Lord Sherwood27 March12 April 1945
Lord Sherwood
and Quintin Hogg		12 April 194523 May 1945
Quintin Hogg
and Earl Beatty		26 May 19454 August 1945
John Strachey19451946
Geoffrey de Freitas19461950
Aidan Crawley19501951
Nigel Birch19511952
George Ward19521955
Christopher Soames19551957
Ian Orr-Ewing19571959
Airey Neave19591959
William Taylor19591962
Julian Ridsdale19621964

Minister of State for the Air Force, 1964–1967

NameEntered officeLeft office
Hugh Fraser19641964
Lord Shackleton19647 January 1967

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

NameEntered officeLeft office
Julian Ridsdale19641964
Bruce Millan19641966
Merlyn-Rees19661968
Lord Winterbottom196824 June 1970
Antony Lambton24 June 19705 June 1973
Anthony Kershaw5 June 19738 January 1974
Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal8 January 19748 March 1974
Brynmor John8 March 197414 April 1976
James Wellbeloved14 April 19766 May 1979
Geoffrey Pattie6 May 197929 May 1981