[Routine Order] SQUADRON ROUTINE ORDER NO.50/42 No.21 Squadron S.A.A.F. — Orders & Appendices

Document

The National Archives' reference AIR 27/273/273
SQUADRON ROUTINE ORDER NO.50/42 No.21 Squadron S.A.A.F.
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by
LIEUT.COL. A.D.IRVINE
Officer Commanding
No.21 Squadron S.A.A.F.
Middle East.
20th October 1942.
Para.195: PROMOTIONS - CAPE CORPS:
* Officers commanding Flights and Section employing
Cape Corps Personnel are to submit recommendations for promotions against
Establishment, to the Adjutant by not later than 23.10.42.
Nil returns need not be rendered.
Para.196:BOUNDS M.T.: Routine Order No.49/42 dated 14/10/42 para.190 refers.
It is noted that vehicles are being driven accross the aerodromex and along its
edge by personnel visiting No.12 Squadron. This is a breech of the above-
mentioned order and furthermore, the Officer Commanding no.12 Squadron has drawn
attention to No.3 (S.A) Wing Orders forbidding non-essential traffic on
Landing Grounds and advising that the correct route from this, to No.12
Squadron's camp is along the tarmac road and down the marked turn-off to that
Squadron's camp. This route will be used in future by all vehicles proceeding
to No.12 Squadron O.L.G.
Para.197:ABANDONED EXPLOSIVES:
1. Instances are still occurring of personnel being injured by the unlawful
handling of abandoned explosives. Under no circumstances are such to be
handled by other than authorised personnel.
2. Where dumps or supplies are discovered, these are to be reported without
delay to the Armament Officer who will appriach the Adjutant for disposal
instructions.
Para.198: ELECTRIC LIGHTS IN TENTS: There will be no electric lights in any tents
at O.L.G. The only exceptions to this Order will be the Messes and such
Offices as are specially permitted by the Commanding Officer.
Para.199: BLACK-OUTS:
1. Black-out regulations will be strictly observed at O.L.G. and all lights
in tents are to be properly screened.
2. On the Air raid siren sounding, all lights are to be extinguished promptly
the detail in charge of the Electric Power Van being responsible for the
switching off of power to the Messes and Offices.
Para.200: CONFINEMENT TO CAMP:
1. Pending receipt of further instructions from Higher Authority, no Officer
or other Rank will leave the Squadron Camp.
2. The only exception to the above order will be in respect of:-
a. The ration truck, and
b. The water trailer, whose runs will be strictly confined to the
duties of fetching rations and water respectively.
Postal arrangements are being handled through 3 (S.A) Wing and will not
be interrupted by the above order.
(Sgd) F.C.Hunt Capt.
Adjutant
No.21 Squadron S.A.A.F.

LOST: A Conway-Stewart fountain pen at O.L.G. on 16/10/42 colour - green with
black points and marked "F.C" on end of barrel and cap.
Reward of £1. will be paid on its return to the Adjutant.

Transcriber's Notes

Phase 2: Technical Expansion (The "Transcriber's Notes")
Glossary of Terms:
* S.A.A.F.: South African Air Force.
* LIEUT.COL. / LIEUT. COL. / Capt.: Rank designations for Lieutenant Colonel (Officer Commanding A.D. Irvine) and Captain (Adjutant F.C. Hunt).
* CAPE CORPS: A South African military unit primarily composed of personnel from the Western Cape, serving in essential logistical and support roles within the squadron.
* BOUNDS M.T.: Restrictions placed on the movement of Mechanical Transport (ground vehicles).
* No.12 Squadron / No.21 Squadron: Sister light bomber squadrons within the SAAF, both equipped with Martin Baltimore aircraft during this period.
* No.3 (S.A) WING: No. 3 (South African) Wing, the higher tactical formation overseeing the SAAF light bomber squadrons in the Western Desert.
* O.L.G.: Operational Landing Ground. The forward desert airstrip from which combat sorties were launched.
Operational Context:
Squadron Routine Order No. 50/42, dated 20 October 1942, captures No. 21 Squadron SAAF in a state of peak operational security (OPSEC) exactly three days prior to the commencement of the Second Battle of El Alamein. The strategic environment of the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) at this juncture was defined by the final "lockdown" phase of the Allied buildup.
The mandate for "CONFINEMENT TO CAMP" (Para. 200) for all ranks is a classic pre-offensive security measure designed to prevent the accidental leakage of the imminent attack's start date to Axis intelligence or local sympathizers. Only essential logistical vehicles—ration trucks and water trailers—were permitted to move, and even then, under strict route constraints.
The prohibition of "ELECTRIC LIGHTS IN TENTS" and the strict "BLACK-OUTS" (Paras. 198-199) were essential for protecting the forward-deployed Martin Baltimore bombers from Luftwaffe night harassment raids. At forward Landing Grounds, any visible light could serve as a beacon for Axis bombers seeking to disrupt the Allied air concentration. Furthermore, the warnings regarding "ABANDONED EXPLOSIVES" (Para. 197) highlight the persistent danger of the desert landscape, which remained littered with unexploded ordnance (UXO) from previous battles—a hazard that posed a constant threat to ground crews and support personnel like the Cape Corps. This document, archived as Folio 50, serves as a primary record of the administrative and security rigor maintained during the final hours of the definitive campaign for North Africa.

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Phase 1: Verification & Extraction
Identity Check: 21st October 1942.