[Routine Order] A P P E N D I X "O" — Orders & Appendices

Document

A P P E N D I X "O"
-----------------------

SQUADRON ROUTINE ORDERS. NO. 18/45 21 SQUADRON. S. A. A. F.
BY

LT. COL. D. ORD. D.F.C.
---------------------------
Officer Commanding.
21 Squadron. S.A.A.F.

27th February, 1945.

Para. 60. AIR LETTERS AND GREEN ENVELOPES.
-------------------------------
(i) The following arrangements in respect of Air Letters and Green
Envelopes will take effect on 1st March, 1945.

(ii) The scale of issue of Air Letters will be unlimited.

(iii) The scale of issue of Privilege Letters (i.e. letters not
subject to unit censorship) will be two per airman per week. Airmen
will be free to elect to take two Privilege Air Letter Forms (A.F.W.3077A)
or two Green Envelopes, or one of each. All other letters will be
unit censored.

(iv) Privilege Air Letters will be written only on the correct form
(A.F.W.3077A). It will not be permitted to convert an ordinary
non-privilege Air Letter into a privilege form by writing the
appropriate certificate on the back.

(v) Officers will continue to frank their own correspondence as at
present, and no issue of Privilege Letters will be made to them.

(vi) Non-privilege Air Letter forms will be obtainable at Army Post
Offices against the purchase of an equivalent number of 3d stamps.

Command Routine Orders Serial No. 42 dated 22.7.44 para. 8 and Serial
No. 45 dated 12.8.44, paras 19 and 24 are cancelled by this Order.
(C.R.O. Serial No. 8. para. 20. dd. 17.2.45)

Para. 61. KIT - PERSONNEL ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL.
------------------------------------
Cases are still occurring of personnel admitted to hospital not
being in possession of necessary kit, particularly respirators.
Respirators, anti-gas equipment and steel helmets MUST be taken by all
ranks. During the winter, the following items are ESSENTIAL for personnel
admitted to HOSPITAL:-

1. Steel Helmet, respirator & anti-gas equipment.
2. Greatcoat and Field Service Cap. 3. Knife, fork spoon and mug.
4. Toothbrush, shaving brush, razor and soap. 5. Hairbrush and/or comb.
6. One Towel. 7. One suit of heavy duty dross.
8. One pair of boots and ankleto. 9. One suit of underwear.
10. One shirt. 11. One pair of socks.

Items not mentioned in the above list may be taken to hospital
but in view of the possibility of patients being evacuated by air these
should be kept to a minimum.
(A.R.O. Serial No. 6. para. 60.)

[Handwritten signature: D Ord]
-------------------------------
[Handwritten addition: P.O. Rautenbach] LT. COL.
COMMANDING. 21 SQUADRON. S.A.A.F.

Transcriber's Notes

[AUTO-CLASSIFIED — VERIFY CATEGORY]
Phase 2: Technical Expansion (The "Transcriber's Notes")
Glossary of Terms:
* S.A.A.F.: South African Air Force.
* LT. COL. D. ORD. D.F.C.: Lieutenant Colonel Donald Ord, Distinguished Flying Cross; Commanding Officer of 21 Squadron.
* Green Envelopes: A specific type of envelope used by military personnel for personal correspondence; these were subject to less stringent censorship than standard mail but required a signed certificate that they contained only private, non-military information.
* A.F.W.3077A: Army Form W.3077A; a standardized military privilege air letter form.
* Frank: To mark a piece of mail with an official signature or stamp to ensure delivery without postage stamps, a privilege reserved for officers.
* C.R.O. / A.R.O.: Command Routine Orders / Air Routine Orders.
* dd. / d.d.: Dated.
* Ankleto: Likely a typographical error in the original document for "anklets" (gaiters used to seal the gap between the boot and the trouser).
* Dross: A likely typographical error for "dress" (referring to Service Dress or Battle Dress).
Operational Context:
The administrative focus on mail and hospital kit in February 1945 reflects the stabilization of the front line and the institutionalization of personnel welfare during the winter lull of the Italian Campaign. While the squadron was actively engaged in "Operation Bingo" using its Martin Marauder aircraft, the maintenance of morale through correspondence remained a critical command priority.
This administrative routine contrasts sharply with the tactical urgency of November 1943. During the Allied assault on the Bernhardt Line, 21 Squadron—then operating Martin Baltimores—was focused on the immediate degradation of German defensive crusts. Strategic locations such as the Mignano Gap and the rail infrastructure at grid H055630 were vital targets. Precision strikes on these coordinates were essential to prevent the German 10. Armee from reinforcing the high ground, thereby facilitating the Allied breach toward the Gustav Line. By 1945, as seen in these orders, the MAAF's organizational depth allowed for complex logistical and postal regulations even while preparing for the final offensive into the Po Valley.
Interpretations of Marginalia and Markings:
* Folio Number "73": Stamped archival index number in the upper right quadrant, following the sequence within AIR 27/271/2.
* "APPENDIX 'O'": Designates this administrative order as a formal annex to the primary February 1945 war diary narrative.
* Authentication: The document features the original handwritten signature of Lt. Col. Donald Ord. A second signature and handwritten note identify P.O. Rautenbach (Major, Squadron Adjutant) as the officer who prepared the order for the C.O.'s approval.
* Censorship Regulations: Paragraph 60(iii) highlights the distinction between "unit censored" mail and "privilege" mail, a system designed to prevent the accidental disclosure of operational details while allowing airmen a measure of privacy in personal matters.

22
The following archival entry constitutes a high-fidelity transcription and historical analysis of the specified document from the official war diary of 21 Squadron, South African Air Force (SAAF), currently held by The National Archives under reference AIR 27/271/2.
Phase 1: Verification & Extraction
Identity Check: The document contains a monthly summary for FEBRUARY, 1945.