Secretary of State for Air

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Secretary of State for Air
Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg
Royal Arms as used by His Majesty's Government
The Air Ministry, 1939-1945. CH10270 - Edit 1.jpg
Longest serving
Archibald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso

11 May 1940 – 23 May 1945
Air Ministry
StatusAbolished
Formerly, Secretary of state
Member of British Cabinet
Privy Council
Seat Westminster, London
AppointerThe British Monarch
on advice of the Prime Minister
Term length No fixed term
Precursor President of the Air Council
Formation10 January 1919
First holder Winston Churchill
Final holder Hugh Fraser
Abolished1 April 1964
Succession Secretary of State for Defence
Air Council in session at the Air Ministry in July 1940. Air Council in session WWII IWM CH 966.jpg
Air Council in session at the Air Ministry in July 1940.

The Secretary of State for Air was a secretary of state position in the British government that existed from 1919 to 1964. The person holding this position was in charge of the Air Ministry. The Secretary of State for Air was supported by the Under-Secretary of State for Air.

Contents

History

The position was created on 10 January 1919 to manage the Royal Air Force. In 1946, the three posts of Secretary of State for War, First Lord of the Admiralty, and Secretary of State for Air became formally subordinated to that of Minister of Defence, which had itself been created in 1940 for the co-ordination of defence and security issues. On 1 April 1964, the Air Ministry was incorporated into the newly-created united Ministry of Defence, and the position of Secretary of State for Air was abolished.

Principal political leaders of the English/British Armed Forces:
Royal NavyBritish ArmyRoyal Air ForceCo-ordination
1628 First Lord of the Admiralty
(1628–1964)
1794 Secretary of State for War
(1794–1801)
1801 Secretary of State for War and the Colonies
(1801–1854)
1854 Secretary of State for War
(1854–1964)
1919 Secretary of State for Air
(1919–1964)
1936 Minister for Co-ordination of Defence
(1936–1940)
1940 Minister of Defence (1940–1964)
1964 Secretary of State for Defence (1964–present)

List of leaders

Chairman of the Joint War Air Committee, 1916

ChairmanTerm of officePolitical party
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
17th Earl of Derby.jpg Edward Stanley
17th Earl of Derby
February
1916
February
1916 [lower-alpha 1]
7 months and 19 days Conservative

Presidents of the Air Board, 1916–1917

PresidentTerm of officePolitical party
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
George Curzon2.jpg George Curzon
1st Earl Curzon of Kedleston
15 May
1916
3 January
1917
10 months and 23 days Conservative
CowdrayViscount.jpg Weetman Pearson
1st Viscount Cowdray
3 January
1917
26 November
1917
10 months and 23 days Liberal

Presidents of the Air Council, 1917–1919

PresidentTerm of officePolitical party
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
Lord Rothermere.jpg Harold Harmsworth
1st Baron Rothermere
26 November
1917
26 April
1918
5 months
Lord Weir LCCN2014707575 (cropped).jpg William Weir
1st Baron Weir
26 April
1918
10 January
1919
8 months and 15 days
Jack Seely.jpg J. E. B. Seely
MP for Ilkeston
January
1919
November
1919 [lower-alpha 1]
9 or 10 months Conservative

Secretaries of State for Air, 1919–1964

SecretaryTerm of officePolitical party
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
Churchill 1904 Q 42037.jpg Winston Churchill [lower-alpha 2]
MP for Dundee
10 January
1919
1 April
1921
2 years, 2 months and 22 days Liberal
Frederick Edward Guest old photo-crop.jpg Frederick Edward Guest
MP for East Dorset
1 April
1921
19 October
1922
1 year, 6 months and 18 days Liberal
Sir Samuel Hoare GGBain.jpg Sir Samuel Hoare
MP for Chelsea
31 October
1922
22 January
1924
1 year, 2 months and 22 days Conservative
LordBirdwood.jpg Christopher Thomson
1st Baron Thomson
22 January
1924
3 November
1924
9 months and 12 days Labour
Sir Samuel Hoare GGBain.jpg Sir Samuel Hoare
MP for Chelsea
6 November
1924
4 June
1929
4 years, 6 months and 29 days Conservative
LordBirdwood.jpg Christopher Thomson
1st Baron Thomson
7 June
1929
5 October
1930
1 year, 3 months and 28 days Labour
Sir Wm. MacKenzie LCCN2014717249.jpg William Mackenzie
1st Baron Amulree
14 October
1930
5 November
1931
1 year and 22 days Labour
Charles (Charlie) Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 7th Marquess of Londonderry.jpg Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart
7th Marquess of Londonderry
5 November
1931
7 June
1935
3 years, 7 months and 2 days Conservative
Lord Swinton.jpg Philip Cunliffe-Lister
1st Viscount Swinton
7 June
1935
16 May
1938
2 years, 11 months and 9 days Conservative
Kingsley Wood cropped.jpg Sir Kingsley Wood
MP for Woolwich West
16 May
1938
3 April
1940
1 year, 10 months and 18 days Conservative
Sir Samuel Hoare GGBain.jpg Sir Samuel Hoare
MP for Chelsea
3 April
1940
11 May
1940
1 month and 8 days Conservative
The Air Ministry, 1939-1945. CH10270 - Edit 1.jpg Sir Archibald Sinclair
MP for Caithness and Sutherland
11 May
1940
23 May
1945
5 years and 12 days Liberal
Harold Macmillan in 1942.jpg Harold Macmillan
MP for Stockton-on-Tees
25 May
1945
26 July
1945
2 months and 1 day Conservative
William Wedgewood-Benn.jpg William Wedgwood Benn
1st Viscount Stansgate
3 August
1945
4 October
1946
1 year, 2 months and 1 day Labour
Philip Noel-Baker 1942.jpg Philip Noel-Baker
MP for Derby
4 October
1946
7 October
1947
1 year and 3 days Labour
Arthur Henderson 1942.jpg Arthur Henderson
MP for Kingswinford before 1950
MP for Rowley Regis and Tipton after 1950
7 October
1947
26 October
1951
4 years and 19 days Labour
Lord De L'Isle.jpg William Sidney
6th Baron De L'Isle and Dudley
31 October
1951
20 December
1955
4 years, 1 month and 20 days Conservative
Nigel Birch 1950 (crop).jpg Nigel Birch
MP for West Flintshire
20 December
1955
16 January
1957
1 year and 27 days Conservative
No image.svg George Ward
MP for Worcester
16 January
1957
28 October
1960
3 years, 9 months and 12 days Conservative
Julian Amery 1965-11-10 (cropped).jpg Julian Amery
MP for Preston North
28 October
1960
16 July
1962
1 year, 8 months and 18 days Conservative
Blank.svg Hugh Fraser
MP for Stafford and Stone
16 July
1962
1 April
1964
1 year, 8 months and 16 days Conservative

Notes

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