Ken Perkins

{{Short description|British Army general}}

{{EngvarB|date=November 2017}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}

{{Infobox military person

|name=Kenneth Perkins

|honorific_suffix =

|image=

|caption=

|birth_date={{birth date|df=yes|1926|08|15}}

|death_date={{death date and age|df=yes|2009|10|23|1926|08|15}}

|birth_place=Newhaven, England

|death_place=Marlborough, England

|placeofburial=

|placeofburial_label=

|nickname=

|allegiance={{flagicon|United Kingdom}} United Kingdom

|branch=23px British Army

|serviceyears=1946–1982

|servicenumber=

|rank=Major General

|unit=Royal Artillery

|commands=1 Royal Horse Artillery
24 Air Portable Brigade 1969–1970
Commander Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces 1975–1977

|battles=Palestine
Suez
Korea
Malaya
Dhofar Rebellion
Northern Ireland

|awards=CB
MBE
DFC
DCM (Selangor)
Hashemite Order of Independence
Order of Oman

|relations=

|laterwork=Defence correspondent for The Sun newspaper

}}

Major General Kenneth Perkins {{postnominals|country=GBR|CB|MBE|DFC}} (15 August 1926 – 23 October 2009) was a British Army officer who became commander of the Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces taking over from General Sir Timothy Creasey.{{cite journal|title=Major-General Ken Perkins|journal=The Daily Telegraph|date=10 November 2009|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/military-obituaries/army-obituaries/6539178/Major-General-Ken-Perkins.html|accessdate=15 June 2017|language=en}}{{cite book|last1= Perkins|first1=Ken; with a foreword by Lord Bramall|title=A fortunate soldier|url= https://archive.org/details/fortunatesoldier0000perk|url-access= registration|date=1988|publisher=Brassey's Defence Publishers|location=London|isbn=9780080347622|edition=1st}}

His career highlights included:{{cite web|title=Ken Perkins|url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/obituaries/ken-perkins-1-780793|website=The Scotsman|accessdate=15 June 2017|language=en}}

• On 1 November 1947 Ken Perkins was promoted 2nd Lieutenant to Lieutenant.{{cite web|title=Supplement to the London Gazette, 26 March 1948|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/38245/supplement/2064/data.pdf|accessdate=15 June 2017}}
• On 15 August 1953 Ken Perkins was promoted to Captain.{{cite web|title=Supplement to The London Gazette, 11 September 1953|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/39960/supplement/4915/data.pdf|accessdate=15 June 2017}}
• On 25 October 1955 Captain Ken Perkins DFC (Army number 369841) was awarded the MBE.{{cite web|title=Supplement to The London Gazette, 21 October 1955|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/40613/supplement/5965/data.pdf|accessdate=15 June 2017}}
• In 1958 Ken Perkins attended the Pakistani Army staff College in Quetta.{{cite web|title=Comments on General Perkins|url=http://armystaffcollege.gov.pk/Comments_Perkins.php|publisher=armystaffcollege.gov.pk|accessdate=15 June 2017|archive-date=1 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201081853/https://www.armystaffcollege.gov.pk/Comments_Perkins.php|url-status=dead}}
• On 30 June 1967 Ken Perkins was promoted to lieutenant colonel.{{cite web|title=Supplement to the London Gazette, 4 July 1967|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/44357/supplement/7383/data.pdf|accessdate=15 June 2017}}
• Between December 1973 and January 1975 Director of Defence Operational Plans(Defence Operations) as a brigadier.
• On 21 April 1975 Brigadier (Acting Major General) Perkins was confirmed as Major General, with seniority 8 April 1974.{{cite web|title=Supplement The London Gazette of 21 April 1975|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/46551/supplement/5157/data.pdf|accessdate=15 June 2017}}
• Major General Perkins was Commander Sultan of Oman's Armed Force 1975–1977.{{cite web|last1=McKeown|first1=John|title=Dhofar War|url=http://www.55fst-ramc.org.uk/DATA%20FST/ADOBE%20FILES/Dhofar%20War%20John%20McKeown%20Full.pdf|accessdate=15 June 2017|archive-date=5 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160705031304/http://www.55fst-ramc.org.uk/DATA%20FST/ADOBE%20FILES/Dhofar%20War%20John%20McKeown%20Full.pdf|url-status=dead}}{{cite book|last1=Worrall|first1=James J.|title=State Building and Counter Insurgency in Oman: Political, Military and Diplomatic Relations at the End of Empire|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Vw9gAgAAQBAJ&q=Kenneth+Perkins+oman&pg=PA265|publisher=I.B.Tauris|accessdate=15 June 2017|date=18 December 2013|isbn=9781848856349}}
• On 16 June 1977 Major General Perkins appointed Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Operations), Ministry of Defence;{{cite web|title=SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 21 June 1977|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/47250/supplement/8047/data.pdf|accessdate=15 June 2017}} and nearing the end of his time in post in 1980{{cite web|title=MINISTRY OF DEFENCE AND TRI-SERVICE SENIOR APPOINTMENTS|url=http://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Ministry%20of%20Defence%20Senior%20Posts.pdf|publisher=MoDUK|accessdate=15 June 2017}} he deployed to the infant state of Zimbabwe to try and assist in the integration of the new Zimbabwean Armed Forces, bringing in former anti-Rhodesian rebels with the residual military.{{cite book|last1=Kriger|first1=Norma J.|title=Guerrilla Veterans in Post-war Zimbabwe: Symbolic and Violent Politics, 1980–1987|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SGUuqu7V6BgC&q=General+Ken+Perkins&pg=PA227|publisher=Cambridge University Press|accessdate=15 June 2017|date=29 May 2003|isbn=9781139438384}}
• The 1977 Silver Jubilee and Birthday Honours made Ken Perkins a Companion of the Bath (CB)
• At the end of his military career he held the post of Director of Military Assistance Overseas from April 1980 to April 1982.{{cite web|title=MINISTRY OF DEFENCE AND TRI-SERVICE SENIOR APPOINTMENTS|url=http://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Ministry%20of%20Defence%20Senior%20Posts.pdf|publisher=MoDUK|accessdate=15 June 2017}}