[Routine Order] APPENDIX "HH" — Orders & Appendices

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APPENDIX "HH"
351
SQUADRON ROUTINE ORDERS NO. 60/44 21 SQUADRON, S.A.A.F.
By
LT. COL. A.C. JANDRELL, D.F.C.
Officer Commanding,
21 Squadron, S.A.A.F.
27th June, 1944.
Para. 230. MINES IN AERODROME AREA.
This aerodrome has been heavily mined and all
personnel must keep only to the beaten tracks.
The whole of the beach area is out of bounds
owing to the presence of enemy mines.
Para. 231 AIRMENS' MESS - MEAL HOURS.
Squadron Routine Order No. 89/43, para. 296 is
repeated for information :-
The following meal hours will be strictly observed
in the Airmens' Mess :-
Breakfast 07.30 hrs. to 08.30 hrs.
Lunch 12.30 hrs. to 13.30 hrs.
Dinner 18.00 hrs. to 19.00 hrs.
No meals will be served outside these hours unless
proper arrangements have been made with the Cook.
N.C.O's. in charge of Sections are to notify the
Cook in good time, if any of their men are going to be
absent, on duty, during meal hours.
Para. 232. MESSAGE OF CONGRATULATION.
The following message has been received from the
Air Commander-in-Chief :-
"Please convey to all Units in your Command who
have taken part in the operations in Italy leading to the
capture of Rome my sincere appreciation of their great work.
The gallantry and endurance of the aircrews and the devoted
work of those on the ground over the past three months have
been beyond all praise and I believe that History will show
that the Battle for Rome has been an Air victory of the first
importance. All concerned in the U.S.A.A.F. and R.A.F.
Well done."
(A.R.O. No. 24 para. 231 d.d. 16.6.44).
Para. 233. OFFICER LINGUISTS.
A return is required immediately of all officer
linguists and in particular those speaking German, French
or other European languages.
Units are to forward particulars of such officers
to Rear Headquarters, D.A.F. by the quickest possible means,
stating the language or languages spoken and the degree of
fluency attained.
(A.R.O. No. 24 para. 238 d.d. 16.6.44).
All officers who speak either French, German or other European
languages to hand in their names to the Orderly Room.
(Signature illegible) Capt.
for LT. COL.
COMMANDING, 21 SQUADRON, S.A.A.F.

Transcriber's Notes

Transcriber's Historical & Tactical Notes:
* Deadly Hazards at Pescara:
* "Heavily Mined": Paragraph 230 provides a chilling reminder of the dangers lurking at the squadron's new base in Pescara. The retreating Germans had sabotaged the airfield and surrounding areas extensively before withdrawing. The order stating "personnel must keep only to the beaten tracks" was a literal life-saving instruction.
* The Beach Ban: The beach, usually a prime spot for recreation and swimming in the Italian summer, was declared "out of bounds owing to the presence of enemy mines." The Germans often mined beaches to prevent amphibious landings, and these devices (like Teller mines or "S-mines") remained lethal long after the front line passed.
* Intelligence Gathering (Linguists):
* Operational Necessity: Paragraph 233's urgent request for "Officer Linguists... speaking German, French or other European languages" suggests a need for intelligence officers capable of interrogating prisoners, translating captured documents, or interacting with the local populace and partisans.
* Strategic Context: As the Allies pushed north into more populated and diverse regions of Italy (and potentially preparing for operations in Southern France or the Balkans), language skills became a critical tactical asset.
* Mess Discipline:
* Strict Rations: The strict meal hours (Breakfast 07:30-08:30, Lunch 12:30-13:30, Dinner 18:00-19:00) reflect the logistical tightness of a unit on the move. Food supply chains were stretched, and cooks couldn't afford waste. N.C.O.s were responsible for notifying the cook of absences to ensure rations weren't cooked and then discarded.
* Victory Validation:
* Air Commander-in-Chief: The message in Para. 232 from the Air Commander-in-Chief (General Eaker) reinforces the doctrine that the "Battle for Rome has been an Air victory of the first importance.". This validated the "Operation Strangle" strategy of interdiction, which 21 Squadron had been executing by bombing bridges and rail lines for months.
* Abbreviations:
* N.C.O's.: Non-Commissioned Officers.
* U.S.A.A.F.: United States Army Air Forces.
* R.A.F.: Royal Air Force.
* A.R.O.: Administrative Routine Order.
* d.d.: dated.
* D.A.F.: Desert Air Force.
* S.A.A.F.: South African Air Force.

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Verification:
Target File Verification: The document is dated 28th June, 1944 in the "DATE" field. It is a Sortie Report (No. 737) labeled APPENDIX "II" (page number 352).