[Routine Order] SQUADRON ROUTINE ORDERS NO. 39/44 Continued. PAGE TWO. — Orders & Appendices

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SQUADRON ROUTINE ORDERS NO. 39/44 Continued. PAGE TWO.
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para. 146. SECURITY - KEEPING OF DIARIES.
All ranks are warned of the importance of omitting
any reference to movements of units, forces, vessels, aircraft
or equipment, in diaries kept by them.
(G.R.O. Serial No. 84 Para. 120 d.d. 25.4.44).
para. 147. FIELD CENSORSHIP REGULATIONS.
Para. 7 (ii) of Field Censorship Regulations which
reads "All the contents of an envelope will be written in
one language only", is not applicable to S.A.A.F. in so much
as that English and Afrikaans may be written under cover of
one envelope.
(G.R.O. Serial No. 84 Para. 126 d.d. 25.4.44).
para. 148. ROAD DISCIPLINE.
The senior rank travelling in a vehicle is respon-
sible for taking reasonable steps to ensure that observance
of road discipline by the driver and, if he knowingly permits
a breach of road discipline, action may be taken against him
as well as the driver.
(G.R.O. Serial No. 84 Para. 131 d.d. 25.4.44).
para. 149. FLYING CLOTHING & FIRST AID KITS.
All aircrews are instructed to draw Summer Flying
Clothing and First Aid Kits from "T" Stores without delay.
para. 150. DISCIPLINE.
Occupants of tents will be responsible for the
cleanliness of their tents and surrounding area.
Refuse bins are now available in the lines and the
practice of leaving empty tins, paper etc. laying about must
cease forthwith.
It will be the responsibility of N.C.O.s.-in-Charge
of Sections to see that the above instructions are carried
out.
Regular camp inspections will in future be carried
out by the C.O. or the Adjutant.
para. 151. S.A.A.F.I.
The S.A.A.F.I. will be open for business only
during the following hours :-
09.00 hours to 19.00 hours.
(Signature)
LT. COL.
COMMANDING, NO. 21 SQUADRON, S.A.A.F.
NOTICES
NEW TESTAMENTS
Personnel are informed that the issue of the New
Testaments will be delayed owing to the Publisher's printing
press being out of order.
LIBRARY - AIRMENS' MESS.
All books outstanding from the above library are
to be returned by 20.00 hours on Friday, 5th May, 1944.

Transcriber's Notes

Transcriber's Historical & Tactical Notes:
* Operational Security (Diaries):
* The Danger of Documentation: Paragraph 146 reinforces the strict operational security (OpSec) regarding personal diaries. Soldiers were permitted to keep diaries, but they were strictly forbidden from recording tactical details like "movements of units, forces, vessels, aircraft". If a soldier was captured, such a diary would provide the enemy's intelligence service with a goldmine of information about Allied strength and intentions.
* Bilingualism in the SAAF (The "Afrikaans" Exception):
* Censorship Protocols: Paragraph 147 highlights the unique cultural composition of the South African forces. Standard Allied censorship rules required letters to be written in "one language only" (usually English) to simplify the work of the censors. However, the SAAF was granted an exception: "English and Afrikaans may be written under cover of one envelope". This acknowledges that many South African troops were bilingual or preferred Afrikaans (the "Taal"), and SAAF censors were equipped to handle both.
* Camp Hygiene and Health:
* Disease Prevention: Paragraph 150 orders that "the practice of leaving empty tins, paper etc. laying about must cease forthwith". In the warm Italian spring, empty food tins were breeding grounds for flies and mosquitoes. Malaria and dysentery were significant non-combat threats to the 8th Army, often causing more casualties than enemy fire. The instruction to draw "Summer Flying Clothing" (Para 149) further confirms the seasonal shift to warmer weather.
* Morale and Welfare:
* S.A.A.F.I.: The "S.A.A.F.I." mentioned in Paragraph 151 stands for the South African Air Force Institute. It was the South African equivalent of the British NAAFI (Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes), running canteens and shops where troops could buy small luxuries like cigarettes, soap, and stationery.
* New Testaments: The notice about the delay in issuing New Testaments due to a "printing press being out of order" is a small but telling detail about supply chain priorities and the material shortages affecting even religious items during wartime.
* Abbreviations:
* G.R.O.: General Routine Orders.
* d.d.: Dated.
* N.C.O.s: Non-Commissioned Officers.
* C.O.: Commanding Officer.
* "T" Stores: Technical (or possibly Transport/Temporary) Stores.

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Verification:
Target File Verification: The document is dated 5th May, 1944 in the "DATE" field. It is a Sortie Report (No. 658) labeled APPENDIX "I" (page number 240), detailing the mission flown on the morning of May 5th, 1944.