War Office
Hist. a. The former department of the British government, presided over by the Secretary of State for War, which was charged with the entire administration of the Army; the building in which the business of this department was carried on. b. U.S. The War Department.
The British War Office was incorporated in 1964 into the Ministry of Defence, under the Secretary of State for Defence.
| 1721 Constat in L.T.R. Particulars of Leases 4084 (P.R.O.), A passage leading from Whitehall Court to the Warr Office and from thence to Scotland Yard. 1747 Court & City Reg. 145 War-office. Secretary at War, Right Hon. Henry Fox, Esq [Then follow names of subordinate officials]. 1818 Scott Hrt. Midl. l, It should cost Sir George but the asking a pair of colours for one of them at the War-office, since we have always supported government. 1824 in Nairne Peerage Evid. (1874) 76 An entry in the books of the war office. 1865 Angus Handbk. Eng. Lit. 613 The father of M. G. Lewis was deputy-secretary of the war-office. 1870 Act 33 & 34 Vict. c. 17 §1 This Act may be cited for all purposes as ‘The War Office Act, 1870’. 1899 Daily News 21 Dec. 7/1 Lord Roberts spent an hour-and-a-half at the War Office, and then returned to Dover-street with a small War Office staff. |