Letter to Allan Smith from Commanding Officer
Title
Letter to Allan Smith from Commanding Officer
Description
The letter sets out the three options that Allan has now that he has returned from prisoner of war camp. Each option is detailed
Date
1945-09-26
Temporal Coverage
Coverage
Language
Format
Two typewritten sheets
Conforms To
Publisher
Rights
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Contributor
Identifier
MSmithAC1459147-170607-020001, MSmithAC1459147-170607-020002
Transcription
From:- Officer Commanding, No. 106 P.R.C., R.A.F. Cosford.
To:- F/Sgt Smith
Date:- 26th September, 1945
Ref:- 106PRC/28/5/ORG.
In view of the cessation of hostilities, I have now been instructed by the Air Ministry to ask you to state whether you now desire to be considered for:-
(i) Further flying duties; or
(ii) Ground dutios [sic]; or
(iii) Release from the service.
(i) [underlined] FURTHER FLYING DUTIES. [/underlined]
2. A large number of ex-prisoners have offered themselves for further flying duties and their offer and the motives by which it has been inspired are fully appreciated. You will realise, however, that a considerable reduction in training establishments is inevitable, and that the many urgent tasks of reconstruction preclude the devotion of manpower and material to the continued provision of facilities for flying training, except for those who are going to serve for a further period in the Royal Air Force.
3. If, therefore, you apply and are accepted for further flying duties, you will be required, unless you are an airman serving on a regular engagement which will not expire till after the 31st December 1946, to undertake to serve in the Royal Air Force until that date (unless the emergency is declared ended earlier) or until your age and service group is promulgated for release, whichever is the later. You will also be invited in due course to serve in the post-war Reserve for a period of four years from the date you leave the service. Should you be withdrawn from refresher flying training you will be free to elect for the alternatives below.
(ii) [underlined] GROUND DUTIES [/underlined]
4. If you wish to be employed on ground duties you will be informed at your Personnel Centre (Refresher) what opportunities are open to you. Provided you are medically fit for air crew you will, while employed on ground duties, retain your air crew pay and status, time promotion, and increments of pay under air crew conditions, and you will remain liable for further air crew duties if so required.
5. Information will be available at the Personnel Centre (Refresher) regarding the manner of making applications for permanent commissions and for extended service commissions in the case of officers, and the conditions governing recommendations for commissions in the case of airmen. There will be limited prospects of permanent commissions in the Technical and other ground branches in the post-war air force for officers who elect for ground duties.
6. It is hoped that it will be possible to make an announcement shortly regarding a scheme for extended service for airmen air crews; such airmen will in due course be eligible to be considered for air crew service in the post-war air force on whatever conditions may eventually be laid down for such service.
7. Your acceptance for further air force service will depend on your satisfying current medical standards for the duties on which you are to be employed.
/Cont’d…….Page 2.
[page break]
-2-.
(iii) [underlined] RELEASE. [/underlined]
8. If you are an airman not serving on an unexpired regular engagement and apply to be released, and your release is approved, your posting to a Personnel Centre (Refresher) will be cancelled and you will be instructed to report back to this unit (No. 106 Personnel Reception Centre, Cosford) in order that initial release action may be taken. It is open to you to apply to be considered for release, notwithstanding that your age and service group has not already been promulgated for release. Release, if your age and service group has not already been promulgated, will normally be authorised only if you were in captivity for more than twelve months and your age and service group number is not later than 46. If you do not satisfy these conditions but still wish to be released, you should attach to the enclosed form a statement of any circumstances which you consider would support any special claim for release; meanwhile you should report to your Personnel Centre (Refresher) on the date already in your possession.
9. If you apply for release you are particularly requested to state whether you desire to be released direct to civilian life or whether you prefer to take a course at a Resettlement Centre prior to release.
10. If you are an airman serving on an unexpired regular engagement you are not eligible to apply for release. If you are not aware of your position under the release regulations, it will be explained to you at your Personnel Centre (Refresher).
[underlined] GENERAL [/underlined]
11. Applications from [underlined] other [/underlined] personnel for release from the service in response to this letter may render it possible to advance the date of your posting to a Personnel Centre (Refresher) if you elect for (i) or (ii) of para. 1 of this letter. Unless instructed otherwise, however, you should report to that unit on the date of which you have already been notified.
12. You are asked to complete the attached form so that plans for your future may be made. It is emphasised that if you elect for release it will [underlined] not [/underlined] be open to you to change your mind later. If you have any doubts as to the course which you should adopt, you should therefore elect to be considered for (i) or (ii) and it will be open to you when you report to the Personnel Centre (Refresher) to change your preference for either of those, or to elect for release, if you are not an airman on an unexpired regular engagement.
13. It is of the utmost importance that you should supply the required information at once. You are therefore requested to complete the form and return it within seven days at the latest. You should complete the form, so far as it is applicable, even if you are an airman serving on an unexpired regular engagement.
14. Unless you apply for release, you must report to the Personnel Centre (Refresher) on the date already notified to you.
[signature] S/LDR
for Group Captain, Commanding,
[underlined] 106 P.R.C. R.A.F. COSFORD [/underlined]
To:- F/Sgt Smith
Date:- 26th September, 1945
Ref:- 106PRC/28/5/ORG.
In view of the cessation of hostilities, I have now been instructed by the Air Ministry to ask you to state whether you now desire to be considered for:-
(i) Further flying duties; or
(ii) Ground dutios [sic]; or
(iii) Release from the service.
(i) [underlined] FURTHER FLYING DUTIES. [/underlined]
2. A large number of ex-prisoners have offered themselves for further flying duties and their offer and the motives by which it has been inspired are fully appreciated. You will realise, however, that a considerable reduction in training establishments is inevitable, and that the many urgent tasks of reconstruction preclude the devotion of manpower and material to the continued provision of facilities for flying training, except for those who are going to serve for a further period in the Royal Air Force.
3. If, therefore, you apply and are accepted for further flying duties, you will be required, unless you are an airman serving on a regular engagement which will not expire till after the 31st December 1946, to undertake to serve in the Royal Air Force until that date (unless the emergency is declared ended earlier) or until your age and service group is promulgated for release, whichever is the later. You will also be invited in due course to serve in the post-war Reserve for a period of four years from the date you leave the service. Should you be withdrawn from refresher flying training you will be free to elect for the alternatives below.
(ii) [underlined] GROUND DUTIES [/underlined]
4. If you wish to be employed on ground duties you will be informed at your Personnel Centre (Refresher) what opportunities are open to you. Provided you are medically fit for air crew you will, while employed on ground duties, retain your air crew pay and status, time promotion, and increments of pay under air crew conditions, and you will remain liable for further air crew duties if so required.
5. Information will be available at the Personnel Centre (Refresher) regarding the manner of making applications for permanent commissions and for extended service commissions in the case of officers, and the conditions governing recommendations for commissions in the case of airmen. There will be limited prospects of permanent commissions in the Technical and other ground branches in the post-war air force for officers who elect for ground duties.
6. It is hoped that it will be possible to make an announcement shortly regarding a scheme for extended service for airmen air crews; such airmen will in due course be eligible to be considered for air crew service in the post-war air force on whatever conditions may eventually be laid down for such service.
7. Your acceptance for further air force service will depend on your satisfying current medical standards for the duties on which you are to be employed.
/Cont’d…….Page 2.
[page break]
-2-.
(iii) [underlined] RELEASE. [/underlined]
8. If you are an airman not serving on an unexpired regular engagement and apply to be released, and your release is approved, your posting to a Personnel Centre (Refresher) will be cancelled and you will be instructed to report back to this unit (No. 106 Personnel Reception Centre, Cosford) in order that initial release action may be taken. It is open to you to apply to be considered for release, notwithstanding that your age and service group has not already been promulgated for release. Release, if your age and service group has not already been promulgated, will normally be authorised only if you were in captivity for more than twelve months and your age and service group number is not later than 46. If you do not satisfy these conditions but still wish to be released, you should attach to the enclosed form a statement of any circumstances which you consider would support any special claim for release; meanwhile you should report to your Personnel Centre (Refresher) on the date already in your possession.
9. If you apply for release you are particularly requested to state whether you desire to be released direct to civilian life or whether you prefer to take a course at a Resettlement Centre prior to release.
10. If you are an airman serving on an unexpired regular engagement you are not eligible to apply for release. If you are not aware of your position under the release regulations, it will be explained to you at your Personnel Centre (Refresher).
[underlined] GENERAL [/underlined]
11. Applications from [underlined] other [/underlined] personnel for release from the service in response to this letter may render it possible to advance the date of your posting to a Personnel Centre (Refresher) if you elect for (i) or (ii) of para. 1 of this letter. Unless instructed otherwise, however, you should report to that unit on the date of which you have already been notified.
12. You are asked to complete the attached form so that plans for your future may be made. It is emphasised that if you elect for release it will [underlined] not [/underlined] be open to you to change your mind later. If you have any doubts as to the course which you should adopt, you should therefore elect to be considered for (i) or (ii) and it will be open to you when you report to the Personnel Centre (Refresher) to change your preference for either of those, or to elect for release, if you are not an airman on an unexpired regular engagement.
13. It is of the utmost importance that you should supply the required information at once. You are therefore requested to complete the form and return it within seven days at the latest. You should complete the form, so far as it is applicable, even if you are an airman serving on an unexpired regular engagement.
14. Unless you apply for release, you must report to the Personnel Centre (Refresher) on the date already notified to you.
[signature] S/LDR
for Group Captain, Commanding,
[underlined] 106 P.R.C. R.A.F. COSFORD [/underlined]
Collection
Citation
Commanding Officer 106 PRC RAF Cosford, “Letter to Allan Smith from Commanding Officer,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed June 16, 2024, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/33375.
Item Relations
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