Four Letters to Ken Souter

Four Letters to Ken Souter

Four letters to Ken.
#1 is a letter commanded by the Queen thanking him for his service.
#2 is a letter appointing him to General Duties.
#3 is a letter that can be used as a reference. It mentions his role in the filming of The Dam Busters.
#4 is a letter approving his premature retirement.

1954-08-24

1958-01-10

1958-03-10

Four typewritten sheets

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SSouterKP129001v1, SSouterKP129001v2

[Secretary of State for Air crest]
AIR MINISTRY,
WHITEHALL GARDENS,
LONDON, S.W.I
10th March, 1958.
Dear Flight Lieutenant
I have it in command from The Queen to convey to you, on leaving the Active List of the Royal Air Force, the thanks of Her Majesty for your long and valuable services.
Yours sincerely,
George Ward
Flight Lieutenant K. P. Souter
[page break]
[Air Ministry Crest]
AIR MINISTRY,
LONDON, W.C.2.
24 AUG 1954
Sir,
I am commanded by the Air Council to inform you that you have been selected, subject to medical fitness, for appointment to a permanent commission in the General Duties branch of the Royal Air Force on the general conditions of Air Ministry Order A.499/52 and on the special condition outlined in paragraph 2 below. The commission will take effect from 1st June, 1954.
2. You will be liable to serve until 5th February, 1965, when you will have completed 20 years service qualifying for retired pay.
3. I am to request that you will complete the enclosed certificate and return it to the Air Ministry (A.R.7), through the normal service channels without delay. If you accept the offer of a permanent commission, arrangements will be made by your Commanding Officer for you to be medically examined at an early date. You will appreciate that, in your own interest, it is advisable that you should undergo the medical examination as soon as possible.
4. Your attention is directed to the attached memorandum relating to the refund of gratuity received in respect of previous service and to the question of voluntary retirement within five years of appointment to a permanent commission.
I am, Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
A Slater
Flight Lieutenant K. P. Souter (129001).
[calculations]
G.401156/DMP/4/54/500
[page break]
No. 35 Squadron,
Royal Air Force,
Upwood,
Huntingdonshire.
March, 1958
[underlined] To Whom it May Concern [/underlined]
I have known Flight Lieutenant K. Souter for the past four years. During this time he has served as a Flight Commander under my Command, a task which he carried out efficiently from a planning and organisation point of view. However, he was outstanding in the air as an aircraft captain and Flight Commander. He has been given ‘Exceptional’ assessments by his previous Commanding Officers and after flying with him on Instrument Rating and other Tests I was satisfied to renew his exceptional assessment.
Furthermore, when crews were selected to fly for the filming of the ‘Dam Busters’ Flt, Lt. Souter was an automatic selection as the Flight Leader. This task was not an easy one in the circumstances but Flt. Lt Souter was left entirely on his own with his Flight and the first class results that he produced were well seen in the quality of the flying recorded in the film. Souter produced these results more by his leadership and his own flying ability than by the fact that he was the Flight Commander.
At all times I have found him to be reliable, straightforward, and co-operative but particularly I have always been most impressed by his ability and efficiency as an aircraft captain. Therefore I have no hesitation in recommending him for any flying appointment after conversion to aircraft type.
Newberry
(G. NEWBERRY)
Wing Commander,
Officer Commanding,
No. 35 Squadron.
[page break]
TELEPHONE: HOLBORN 3434
[Air Ministry Crest]
A.429024/42/A.R.3.
AIR MINISTRY,
ADASTRAL HOUSE,
THEOBALDS ROAD,
LONDON, W.C.I
10th January, 1958.
Sir,
I am commanded by the Air Council to convey approval to your application for premature retirement, to take effect on 29th March, 1958, under the terms of the Government White Paper dealing with Compensation for Premature Retirement, Instructions have been issued for the grant of 28 days’ terminal leave, the first day of which will be 1st March, 1958.
2. You will remain liable to recall to the active list in times of emergency until you reach the age of 60. I have also to remind you that you must not enter the service of a foreign power without first obtaining permission of the Air Council.
3. Your retired pay, terminal grant and special capital payment will be calculated in accordance with Air Ministry Order A.349/1957; you will receive details of the amounts after retirement.
4. Information that might be of use to you in civilian life and extracts from regulations regarding retirement will be sent to you after you have ceased duty.
I am, Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
LJ. Francis
Flight Lieutenant K.P. Souter.