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

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APPENDIX "C"
258
SQUADRON ROUTINE ORDERS. NO. 98/44 21 SQUADRON. S.A.A.F.
By
LT. COL. D. ORD. D.F.C.
Officer Commanding,
21 Squadron, S.A.A.F.
20th October, 1944.
Para. 352. TRANSPORT ORDER:
* Between 06.00 hours and 18.00 hours all transport will enter the camp by the Western entrance and leave by the Eastern exit.
* Between 18.00 hours and 06.00 hours all transport will leave and enter the camp area by the Eastern entrance.
* All transport drivers in charge of vehicles will stop at the exit and entrance to the camp and furnish their name and vehicle number to the gate guard.
* All vehicles, except staff cars and jeeps, leaving the camp will carry a route form. These forms are obtainable from heads of sections.
* Speed limit in the camp is 5 m.p.h.
* The only vehicles allowed around "Park drive" are Hygiene, Ambulance, Water gharries and vehicles proceeding to the M. T. Section for repairs and servicing.
* All other transport when entering the camp area will be parked next to the trees in Eloff Street and immobilised.
* Heads of Sections will be held personally responsible for movements of their vehicles.
(Signature: Ord) LT. COL.
COMMANDING. 21 SQUADRON. S.A.A.F.

Transcriber's Notes

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES
* Abbreviations Expanded:
* S.A.A.F.: South African Air Force
* LT. COL.: Lieutenant Colonel
* D.F.C.: Distinguished Flying Cross
* Para.: Paragraph
* m.p.h.: miles per hour
* M. T.: Motor Transport
* Observations about Individuals:
* Lieutenant Colonel D. Ord, D.F.C.: The Commanding Officer (OC) of 21 Squadron whose signature authenticates this order. His focus on transport discipline (Para. 352) was likely a reaction to the extreme logistical difficulties of October 1944, where unserviceable batteries and "war weary transport" were major concerns.
* Heads of Sections: These senior non-commissioned officers and junior officers were placed under direct personal responsibility for vehicle movements. This reflects a tightening of command control during the unit's move to a new base.
* Location and Modern Name:
* San Ubaldo (Camp Site): This transport order details the traffic flow for the new camp established near Jesi. The personnel were billeted on the estate of an Italian Marquis, featuring a villa used as the Officers' Mess.
* Eloff Street: A notable cultural touchstone; the squadron named one of the camp's muddy tracks after the famous main thoroughfare in Johannesburg, South Africa. This helped the "Desert Lads" maintain a sense of home while serving in a foreign theater.
* Jesi Aerodrome: The squadron's nearby base, currently the Ancona International Airport (Aeroporto di Ancona-Falconara).
* Historical Theatre Context:
* Logistical Friction and the "Sea of Mud": The strict 5 m.p.h. speed limit and designated entrance/exit times were likely enforced to prevent vehicles from getting bogged down or further damaging the "soft surface" roads of the San Ubaldo estate. The War Diary describes the area as an "ocean of greasily dappled mud" following "continual rain" throughout October.
* Security and Immobilisation: The order to "immobilise" vehicles when parked (Para. 352.7) was a standard security measure to prevent theft by local civilians or enemy agents in the liberated territory. This was a constant concern for the Central Mediterranean Force (C.M.F.) during the static winter stalemate.
* Specialized Vehicles: The mention of "Water gharries" (Para. 352.6) highlights the squadron's reliance on specialized transport for basic survival needs like drinking water and hygiene, as local supplies were often polluted or rat-infested.
* Operational Void: While these complex traffic rules were being managed, the squadron's Martin B-26 Marauder III medium bombers remained grounded at Jesi due to the runway's "insufficient length" for wet weather operations.

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The date written in the 'Date' line of the routine orders is 25th October, 1944.