[Routine Order] SQUADRON ROUTINE ORDER NO. 49/42 No. 21 Squadron S.A.A.F. — Orders & Appendices

Document

The National Archives' reference AIR 27/273/273
46
SQUADRON ROUTINE ORDER NO. 49/42 No. 21 Squadron S.A.A.F.
by
LIEUT. COL. A. D. IRVINE
Officer Commanding,
No. 21 Squadron S.A.A.F.
Middle East,
14th October 1942.
187: GENERAL:
1. A Routine Order promulgated, will be of full force and effect until
cancelled in Routine Orders and will not be affected by any movements
of the Squadron.
2. Routine Orders will be promulgated by delivery of a copy for posting
up to:-
a. Officer's Mess.
b. Sergeants' Mess.
c. Airmens' Mess.
d. "A" Flight Tent.
e. "B" Flight Tent.
f. Post Tent.
g. Cape Corps Orderly Room.
h. Squadron B.L.G. (4 Copies)
3. Routine orders are to be read an understood by all ranks and ignorance
of any such order promulgated will be no excuse for non compliance
therewith.
188: MOVEMENTS:
1. No Officer or Other Rank will leave camp, either B.L.G. or L.G.
without complying with the following orders:-
a. If on duty, he will obtain a route form at the Orderly Room.
b. If on leave, he will obtain a leave pass at the orderly room. In cases
where personnel desire to leave camp for less than 6 hours and to
proceed not more than 5 miles from camp, a leave pass may be dispensed
with; but permission will be obtained from the Flight or Section
Commander concerned, prior to departure.
2. On returning to, or arriving at camp, L.G. or B.L.G., on a Route
Form or Leave Pass, all personnel will report in at the Orderly Room.
189: ROADS AT L.G.:
1. The Main Road will be round the perimeter of the camp.
2. In the camp area, where essential M.T. services are permitted, only
existing or defined roads will be used by drivers.
190: MECHANICAL TRANSPORT:
1. Bounds: The following areas are out of bounds to all vehicles,
excepting essential services necessarily thereon:-
a. The camp area, inside the perimeter road.
b. The aerodrome, excepting the existing roads on the extreme edges,
due care to be taken by drivers not to obstruct or inconvenience
aircraft movements.
2. Speed Limit: In camp, authorised essential vehicles will not exceed
Ten (10) miles per hour. The same limit will be maintained by Squadron
M.T. Drivers on the camp perimeter and aerodrome roads.
3. Care in Driving: Drivers will exercise the utmost care to avoid damage
to transport. The mobility of the Squadron depends on serviceable
transport and as there is a shortage of spare parts, a serious view
will be taken of any damage resulting from careless or negligent driving.
4. Reporting of Accidents and Damage: The Driver of any vehicle concerned
in an accident or sustaining any damage or loss of a part, will report
the circumstances to the Officer in charge of M.T. immediately on return
to camp or at the earliest opportunity.
191: AIR RAIDS - PRECAUTIONS:
1. All personnel will maintain adequate slit trenches or similar cover in
the vicinity of their tents and where usually employed.
2. Steel helmets will be kept available and will be donned during air raids.
3. All possible steps will be taken by personnel to avoid any unnecessary /
casualties during air raids.
Para. 192/.........
The National Archives' reference AIR 27/273/273
47
192: KIT-STORAGE at B.L.G.:
1. As advised at B.L.G. arrangements have been made for the storage of
surplus kit in "Q" Stores.
2. All kit handed in is to be clearly marked with the No. Rank and Name
of the owner and also "21 Squadron S.A.A.F.". Kit is to be securely
packed and properly fastened or tied up. A label, obtainable from
"Q" Stores, marked with the above-mentioned particulars will also be
attached to each package handed in.
3. Packages not complying with the above orders will not be accepted by
"Q" stores for storage.
193: POST & WASHING:
1. One Postal Truck will leave O.L.G. and another B.L.G. at 07.00 hours
on Mondays and Thursdays each week, to meet at S.A.A.F. H.Q. Post Office
at 10.30 hours. The Squadron Postal Clerk will accompany this run and
will sort all mail for the relevant L.G.'s and see that the bags are
loaded on the respective trucks.
2. This run will also be utilized for washing to be done by the Squadron
Dhobie at B.L.G. and both trucks will be utilized for exchange of
soiled clothes being sent back and washed clothes being returned to
O.L.G.
Washing Slips are obtainable at the Orderly Room O.L.G. and will be
fully completed in respect of each bag of washing. Bags are to be
clearly marked with Number, Rank, Name and Squadron and will be handed
in at O.L.G. "Q" Stores not later than 17.00 hours on Sundays and Wednesdays.
194: WRONGFUL POSSESSION OF STORES & EQUIPMENT:
It has been noted that a considerable quantity of Barrack stores, mess and
other equipment, is in the wrongful and unlawful possession of personnel.
All such stores and equipment is to be returned to "Q" Stores by not later
than 17.00 hours on 21/10/42. After the time stated, such possession will
be regarded as a serious offence.
(Sgd) (Signature) Capt.
Adjutant, No. 21 Squadron S.A.A.F.

Transcriber's Notes

Phase 2: Technical Expansion (The "Transcriber's Notes")
Glossary of Terms:
* NO. 49/42: The 49th Routine Order of the year 1942.
* No. 21 Squadron S.A.A.F.: No. 21 Squadron of the South African Air Force.
* LIEUT. COL. / Lieut. Col.: Lieutenant Colonel, the rank of the Officer Commanding (O.C.) Alistair Irvine.
* "A" Flight / "B" Flight: The two primary operational sub-divisions of the squadron, each managing a group of Martin Baltimore aircraft and crews.
* Cape Corps: A South African unit primarily composed of personnel from the Western Cape, serving in support roles within the squadron.
* B.L.G. / L.G.: Bomber Landing Ground and Landing Ground, respectively. Refers to the forward airstrips (such as L.G. 98 or 99) from which the squadron operated.
* M.T.: Mechanical Transport. This encompasses all ground vehicles—trucks, bowsers, and utility vehicles—required for squadron mobility and logistical support.
Operational Context:
Squadron Routine Order No. 49/42 was issued on 14 October 1942, exactly nine days before the commencement of the Second Battle of El Alamein. At this stage, No. 21 Squadron SAAF was positioned at forward Landing Grounds (L.G. 98 and 99) in the Western Desert, having recently completed an "EMERGENCY" forward displacement to bring its Martin Baltimore bombers within strike range of Axis lines.
The strategic environment was one of absolute preparation for the offensive. The strictures on "Mechanical Transport" (Para 190) reflect the critical nature of ground mobility. As the order notes, the "mobility of the Squadron depends on serviceable transport," and a "shortage of spare parts" necessitated severe disciplinary measures for careless driving. In the fluid desert environment, ground vehicles were essential for ferrying fuel, ordnance, and personnel to the dispersed aircraft.
Para 191, regarding "Air Raids - Precautions," underscores the constant threat posed by the Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica. Allied landing grounds were prime targets for Axis strafing and bombing raids intended to disrupt the buildup. The mandate for "slit trenches" and "steel helmets" reflects the vulnerability of personnel on forward strips where natural cover was nonexistent. This order, preserved as folio 46, demonstrates the administrative rigor required to maintain operational discipline and asset preservation during the definitive campaign for North Africa.

59
Phase 1: Verification & Extraction
Identity Check: No specific date is recorded in a 'Date' column on this image. However, the text in Paragraph 194 references a deadline of "17.00 hours on 21/10/42," and the document is a direct continuation of Routine Order No. 49/42 dated 14th October 1942.
Phase 2: Technical Expansion (The "Transcriber's Notes")
Glossary of Terms:
* B.L.G. / O.L.G. / L.G.: Bomber Landing Ground, Operational Landing Ground, and Landing Ground respectively. These refer to the forward, often austere, desert airstrips utilized by No. 21 Squadron during the North African campaign.
* "Q" Stores: Quartermaster Stores. The department responsible for the inventory, storage, and issuance of all squadron equipment, from personal kit to barrack stores.
* S.A.A.F.: South African Air Force.
* S.A.A.F. H.Q. Post Office: South African Air Force Headquarters Post Office, the centralized mail handling facility for SAAF units in the Middle East.
* Dhobie: A traditional term for a washerman or laundry worker, used here to describe the squadron's centralized laundry service.
* Orderly Room: The squadron's primary administrative office where records are kept and orders processed.
Operational Context:
This document, folio 47, represents the final administrative preparations of No. 21 Squadron SAAF in the week immediately preceding the Second Battle of El Alamein (commencing 23 October 1942). The tactical landscape of the Western Desert necessitated a separation between the Operational Landing Ground (O.L.G.), where aircraft were fueled and armed for sorties, and the Bomber Landing Ground (B.L.G.), which often served as a slightly more established rear echelon for maintenance and administrative support.
The strategic emphasis on "storage of surplus kit" and the mandatory return of "unlawful possession" of stores by 21 October indicates a final effort to streamline unit weight and improve mobility. Every kilogram of unnecessary equipment removed from the forward echelons increased the logistical efficiency of the squadron as it prepared to support the 8th Army's breakthrough.
The establishment of a rigid "POST & WASHING" schedule via the "Postal Truck" illustrates the critical importance of maintaining morale through communication and hygiene in the austere desert environment. For crews operating Martin Baltimore or Maryland aircraft, the psychological link to the rear through mail was as vital as the physical link to laundry services. This order, signed by the Adjutant, serves as a primary record of the administrative rigor required to sustain a combat-ready light bomber squadron during the definitive phase of the Tunisian campaign's precursor, the battle for Egypt.

60
Phase 1: Verification & Extraction
Identity Check: 23/10/42