[Routine Order] SQUADRON ROUTINE ORDERS. — Orders & Appendices

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SQUADRON ROUTINE ORDERS.
No. 53/44.
21 SQUADRON. S.A.A.F.
APPENDIX "J"
315
By
LT. COL. A. C. JANDRELL. D.F.C.
Officer Commanding.
21 Squadron, S.A.A.F.
6th June, 1944.
Para. 205. M. T. RECORDS.
The following is an extract from a letter received from
Air Officer i/c Administration, Headquarters, Desert Air Force for
attention of and strict compliance by all members of this unit:-
"Normal and reasonable recreational runs, transport of
organised sports teams, and liberty runs to the authorised Rest Camp
may be allowed without repayment action being taken, but M. T. runs
made on behalf of Officers', Sergeants' and Airmens' Messes for
purchase of wines, foodstuffs, etc., unless co-ordinated with other
duty runs, may be made only on repayment.
It must be realised by Officers Commanding Units that the
necessity to conserve Mechanical Transport, petrol and tyres is still
a matter of the utmost importance, and the supervision and economical
control of the usage of M.T. vehicles cannot be too highly stressed.
Again, the operational efficiency of a field force Unit is dependent
upon the serviceability of its M. T. vehicles, any misuse of which can
only be regarded as a form of sabotage of the total war effort.
In future, all Units will be required to maintain a daily
record of all M.T. runs outside the boundaries of the camp. The daily
sheet giving details of these runs will be inspected and signed daily,
by the M.T. or other Officer or Warrant Officer, detailed for such
duties, and also countersigned daily by the Officer Commanding. These
daily sheets are to be retained for a period of three months, and are
to be made available for inspection by Staff Officers of this Headquarters.
In effect, therefore, vehicles will be only permitted to
leave the camp site on the authority of the Commanding Officer or other
Officer to whom this authority has been delegated. If any vehicle is
found travelling outside the Unit's camp site without such authority
the Commanding Officer will be called upon to give a satisfactory
explanation, failing which he will be held personally responsible, and
a serious view will be taken of any proven case of misuse of Service
Transport. Furthermore, the promiscuous and uncontrolled use of
transport may cancel the concession made and lead to orders compelling
D.A.F. units to comply in full with M.A.A.F. Routine Order No. 27."
With effect from date hereof no service vehicle (including
motor cycles) will proceed outside the Aerodrome Area without written
permission from the M. T. Officer.
Para. 206. FAIRY GODMOTHERS.
Reference Routine Order 49/44 para. 183 dated 28th May, 1944
the Fairy Godmothers now allocated to this Squadron are Sgt. M.A.C.Brown
and Sgt. M. R. Emmanuel both of H.Q., R.A.F., M.E.
Para 207/

Transcriber's Notes

Transcriber's Historical & Tactical Notes:
* Logistics Crunch (M.T. Records):
* Context: This order, issued on June 6th, 1944 (D-Day), reflects the critical shortage of transport resources in the Mediterranean theater. While the Allies were landing in Normandy, the Italian campaign was struggling with extended supply lines as the front moved north of Rome. The emphasis on conserving "petrol and tyres" was not just bureaucratic penny-pinching; rubber and fuel were strategic commodities, and the rapid advance required massive quantities of both.
* Sabotage Accusation: The language is remarkably harsh: "any misuse of which can only be regarded as a form of sabotage of the total war effort.". This severe framing was intended to shock personnel into compliance. "Joy-riding" or unauthorized trips to buy wine were no longer just disciplinary infractions; they were framed as aiding the enemy.
* "Clapped Out" Fleet: This order provides crucial context for the later diary entry on June 28th (see File 9), which complains that the squadron's vehicles were in a "clapped out" condition. The strict controls imposed here suggest that the vehicles were already being pushed to their breaking point, and any unnecessary mileage was a risk to operational readiness.
* Social Welfare ("Fairy Godmothers"):
* Adoption Scheme: Paragraph 206 mentions "Fairy Godmothers." This was likely a morale-boosting "adoption" scheme where headquarters staff or civilian volunteers ("Godmothers") would correspond with, or send comforts to, specific forward units.
* The Assignees: The "Godmothers" assigned are Sgt. M.A.C. Brown and Sgt. M.R. Emmanuel of H.Q., R.A.F., M.E. (Middle East). It is somewhat amusing (and typically military) that the "Fairy Godmothers" in this case appear to be male Sergeants from Headquarters, likely serving as logistical liaisons rather than the maternal figures the name implies.
* Abbreviations:
* M.T.: Mechanical Transport.
* i/c: in charge.
* D.A.F.: Desert Air Force.
* M.A.A.F.: Mediterranean Allied Air Forces.
* H.Q., R.A.F., M.E.: Headquarters, Royal Air Force, Middle East.
* Sgt.: Sergeant.

27
Verification:
Target File Verification: The document is Squadron Routine Orders No. 53/44 continued, labeled PAGE TWO and 316. It is an appendix page and does not contain a standard "Date" column like the diary entries. However, it is a continuation of the order dated 6th June, 1944 (see previous file), and contains internal reference dates such as "d.d. 24.5.44" and "d.d. 25.5.44".