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

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APPENDIX "A"
SQUADRON ROUTINE ORDERS. NO. 111/44 21 SQUADRON. S.A.A.F.
By
LT.COL. D. ORD, D.F.C.
Officer Commanding,
21 Squadron. S.A.A.F.
11th December, 1944.
Para. 394. CONTINUED SERVICE ON CONCLUSION OF THE WAR IN EUROPE.
Instructions have now been received from the Union that it has become necessary to limit the period for considering the completion of Form D.D.88J to the 30th December, 1944.
All personnel, therefore, who have, by virtue of external admin., instructions, Personnel Nos. 41 and 43, signed slips indicating that they wish to consider signing Form D.D.88J at a future date, which is after 30th December, 1944 are now informed of this limitation.
All personnel concerned must now sign D.D. 88J or the slip indicating that they do not wish to sign it, as soon as possible and not later than 30th December, 1944.
The question of Permanent Force personnel has now also been clarified and it has been ruled that Forms D.D.88J or slips are not required from Permanent Force personnel unless the terms of their original contract have expired.
It is further desired to emphasize that applications for extended service are not in any way to be regarded as a new oath.
(Ext. Admin., Inst., Personnel No. 45)
Para. 395. M. T. VEHICLES ON AERODROME:
No vehicles are to cross the runway at the middle dumb-bell.
Minimum use is to be made of the taxi-way - the back road just inside the fence of aerodrome is to be used as much as possible.
Para. 396. PAY PARADE : (MID-MONTH)
Pay Parade will be held on Saturday 16th December, 1944 at the following times :-
Airmen's Mess. 09.00 hours.
Sgts' Mess. 11.00 "
Officers' Mess. 14.30 "
Paybooks must be handed in, without fail, before 16.00 hrs on Wednesday, 13th December, 1944.
Para. 397. ISSUE OF AFRICA STAR:
All details who arrived in the Middle East on or before 12 May '43 now qualify for the Africa Star, irrespective of whether such details were on posted strength of Units or otherwise.
In view of the above, the details who arrived on 6. May '43 therefore qualify for the award and should hand their paybooks into the Orderly Room immediately, to Cpl. Smith.
(Signature) LT. COL.
COMMANDING, 21 SQUADRON. S.A.A.F.

Transcriber's Notes

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES
* Abbreviations Expanded:
* APPENDIX "A": This denotes that the Routine Orders were attached as a secondary document to the main Squadron War Diary for the month.
* S.A.A.F.: South African Air Force.
* LT.COL. / LT. COL.: Lieutenant Colonel.
* D.F.C.: Distinguished Flying Cross.
* Form D.D.88J: Department of Defence Form 88J, a standard South African military contract for service extension.
* M. T.: Mechanical Transport.
* Sgts': Sergeants'.
* hrs / hours: Hours.
* Observations about Individuals Mentioned:
* Lt. Col. D. Ord, D.F.C.: The Commanding Officer (C.O.) of 21 Squadron. This order reflects his administrative burden during the "long stand-down" of December 1944. While his aircraft were grounded by mud, Ord was tasked with managing the long-term career commitments of his men as the end of the European war became a foreseeable reality.
* Cpl. Smith: A clerk in the Orderly Room responsible for processing paybooks and campaign medal applications.
* Information about the Location:
* Iesi (Jesi) Landing Ground: Although not named in the text, 21 Squadron was based at Iesi near Ancona, Italy, on this date.
* Modern Name: This historic site is the present-day Ancona International Airport (Aeroporto di Ancona-Falconara).
* The "Mud Stalemate": Para. 395 regarding vehicles reflects the poor state of the airfield. The "sea of mud" at Iesi was so severe that vehicle traffic had to be strictly limited to prevent further damage to the unpaved surfaces, which already prevented the heavy Martin B-26 Marauder III bombers from taking off.
* Historical Theatre Context:
* Post-War Planning: Para. 394 reveals the South African government’s ("the Union") effort to gauge how many personnel would remain in the service after the fall of Germany. By December 1944, Allied victory in Europe seemed certain, and the military needed to differentiate between those serving for the "duration of the war" and those willing to serve in the subsequent Pacific campaign or the Permanent Force.
* Campaign Recognition: Para. 397 deals with the Africa Star, awarded for service in North Africa between 1940 and 1943. The specific date mentioned—12 May 1943—marks the final surrender of Axis forces in Tunisia. This order ensured that ground crew and veterans of the desert campaigns received their due recognition while stationed in the very different, frozen environment of the Italian winter.
* Operational Stagnation: These administrative orders were issued during the midpoint of the 20-day "stand-down". With combat flights impossible, the focus of the squadron shifted toward logistical maintenance, pay parades, and personnel management until the weather cleared on December 21st.

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Target File Verification: The date written in the header of the memorandum is 20th December, 1944.