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War Office, Pall Mall, S.W. —NEAREST Railway Station, St. James’s-park; Omnibus Routes, Piccadilly, Regent-st, and Strand Cab Rank: St. James’s - square Besides the general clerical staff the principal sub-divisions are the Commander-in-Chiefs Office; the Adjutant-General’s Department; the Office of Deputy Adjutant General of Artillery; of Inspector General of Artillery (11, James-street, Buckingham-gate); of Deputy Adjutant-General of Engineers; the Quartermaster-General s Office; the Intelligence Branch; the Army Contract Department; the Director of Works (Horse Guards); the Military Education Department (Gun House, St. James’s-park) the Royal Army Clothing Depot (Grosvenor-road, S.W.); the Royal Gun Factory, the Royal Carriage Department, the Chemical Department and the Royal Laboratory at Woolwich; the Small Arms Factories at Enfield and Birmingham, the Royal Engineer’s Office (Horse Guards); and the School of Military Engineering, Chatham.

Charles Dickens (Jr.), Dickens's Dictionary of London, 1879

WAR OFFICE. The War Office, formerly the residence of H.R.H. Frederick, Duke of York, is situated in Pall Mall, on the south side, in close proximity to the Carlton and Reform Clubs and Marlborough House - the town residence of H.R.H. The Prince of Wales. The building, which possesses no architectural pretensions, contains various offices connected with the War Department of the Government. In front is a bronze statue, by Foley, of Lord Herbert of Lea, who died in 1861, and who was once War Secretary.

George Birch, The Descriptive Album of London, c.1896