War Office

War Office - Print on steel sign - 500mm x 178mm

The War Office was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army. The War Office building was located at the junction of Horsegaurds Avenue and Whitehall in central London. It worked alongside the Admiralty, responsible for the Royal Navy and the Air Ministry which oversaw the Royal Air Force.  Its foundation has traditionally been ascribed to William Blathwayt, who on his appointment as Secretary at War in 1684 greatly expanded the remit of his office to cover general day-to-day administration of the Army.