[Routine Order] SQUADRON ROUTINE ORDER NO. 12/44 continued.

Monday, 31 January 1944 Other

Document

The National Archives' reference AIR 27/269/2
SQUADRON ROUTINE ORDER NO. 12/44 continued.
PAGE TWO.
Para. 54. PHOTOGRAPHS AND FILMS TAKEN BY TROOPS. (continued)
to A.D.P.R., c/o G.O.A., U.D.F., M.E.F. Contributors
should, where possible, indicate the publication for which
the photographs are intended. If no indication is given,
A.D.P.R. will submit the photographs for publication at his
discretion.
Photographs which are sent in letters home or to
friends and which are NOT intended for publication, may be
censored by the Unit Censor Officer who normally has the
responsibilty of censoring soldiers' mail.
Cine films (16 mm. or 8 mm.) in black and white
must be submitted for processing to Kodaks Ltd. in Egypt,
as unprocessed film is not allowed to be sent out of the
country.
Colour film, however, cannot be processed locally
and should be sent to A.D.P.R., who will undertake to send
such film to the Director of Military Intelligence, Pretoria
who will submit the film for processing in South Africa. In
each case the owner of the film should indicate to which
address he wishes the processed film to be forwarded.
No films should be sent out of Egypt unprocessed
other than as indicated in the paragraph dealing with colour
films.
In no case is postage required. Onward trans-
mission of all films is arranged by A.D.P.R.
(Contact Letter No. 15, para. 12, d.d. 31.1.44).
Para.55. RECORDING OF BLOCK NUMBERS. (B.O.A.F.).
Number. | Rank. | Name. | Classif.
204017 | Capt. | Dieu G.M. | G.D.F.
204049 | 2/Lt. | Van de Putte E.A. | Obs.
204009 | Asp. | Gonciar H.G. | Arm.
504042 | Asp. | Pluncrei V.E.F.C. | M.O.1.
204046 | Asp. | Thiolo F. | M.O.1.
(Part 11 Orders Serial 13/44 para.510 d.d. 6.2.44.).
Para. 56. DONATION TO S.A.A.F. BENEVOLENT FUND.
The D.G.A.F. states in his reply :-
"I would like it to be made known to those who
contributed to our fund how sincerely we apprec-
iate this generous gesture which will help to
assist some of the very distressing cases which
we are called upon to consider"
(Minute SAOA/PAY/MAAF/1602/16/3 d.d: 27.1.44.).
Para. 57. M.T. - CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS.
Passengers may stand in load carriers on journeys
up to five miles. Where the journey exceeds five miles,
seating accommodation is to be provided, due care being
taken to guard against the effects of sudden braking or
collision. Seats are not to be placed parallel to and immed-
iately in front of the tailboard. Sitting on the sides and
tailboards has led to many deaths and injuries and is strict-
ly forbidden. All doors and tailboards are to be properly
secured before a vehicle moves off. It is the duty of the
senior passenger or such person as may have been specificly
detailed to take charge of the party, to ensure that these
orders are carried out. If a driver becomes aware of any
infringement of these orders, he is to draw the attention of
such person to the infringement, and is not to proceed until
these orders have been fully complied with.
Riding on the carrier of a solo motor cycle is
forbidden. Where a sidecar combination is fitted with a
carrier seat, one pillion passenger may be carried provided
there is a minimum load of 56 lb. conveyed simultaneously
in the side car.
Para. 57/ continued Page 3.

Transcriber's Notes

Transcriber's Notes:
* Abbreviations & Military Codes:
* A.D.P.R.: Assistant Director of Public Relations.
* G.O.A.: General Officer Administration.
* U.D.F.: Union Defence Force (South Africa).
* M.E.F.: Middle East Forces.
* B.O.A.F.: Likely "Base Operations Air Force" or a similar administrative acronym for tracking personnel blocks.
* G.D.F.: General Duties (Flying) - indicating a pilot/aircrew role.
* Obs.: Observer.
* Arm.: Armorer.
* M.O.1.: Medical Officer (Class 1) or similar medical classification.
* Asp.: Aspirant (Officer Cadet/Candidate).
* D.G.A.F.: Director General Air Force.
* Photography & Intelligence Security:
* Processing Restrictions: The strict protocols regarding film processing (Kodak in Egypt for B&W vs. Intelligence in Pretoria for Color) underscore the high priority of operational security. Sending undeveloped film out of the theater was prohibited because it bypassed local censorship.
* Colour Film: The explicit note that "Colour film... cannot be processed locally" and must be routed to Pretoria confirms that South African troops were using color film in the field in 1944, a relative rarity compared to the ubiquitous black and white.
* Personnel & Nationalities:
* Capt. Dieu G.M.: This entry clarifies the identity of the pilot "Capt. Dieu" seen in earlier reports (e.g., Appendix O). The grouping of names like Gonciar, Pluncrei, and Thiolo under "Block Numbers" suggests a contingent of foreign volunteers or seconded personnel (possibly French or Belgian, given the rank "Aspirant") integrated into the SAAF structure.
* Asp. (Aspirant): This rank is typically associated with continental European militaries (like France or Belgium) for officer candidates, reinforcing the theory of a foreign detachment.
* Safety Regulations (M.T. - Motor Transport):
* "Sitting on the sides... led to many deaths": The detailed safety rules for passengers in trucks highlight the non-combat hazards of the Italian campaign. Soldiers riding on tailgates often fell during travel on rough roads, leading to fatal accidents.
* Motorcycles: The requirement for a "minimum load of 56 lb" in a sidecar before carrying a pillion passenger is a physics-based safety measure. An empty sidecar makes a motorcycle combination unstable and prone to flipping if carrying a passenger on the back seat.

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Verification:
Target File Verification: The document is an "APPENDIX 'Q'" containing "Squadron Routine Orders No. 13/44" dated 25th February, 1944.