APPENDIX "A" — Orders & Appendices

Document

The National Archives' reference AIR 27/271/7
APPENDIX "A"
21 SQUADRON. 257
AIRCREW.
When hostilities in Europe ceased on 8th May, 1945 there

were 12 Aircrew on the Squadron with over 100 operational sorties
in Bomber aircraft to their credit, of the 12, 10 of them carried
out all their raids on 21 Squadron.
A photograph of the aircrew including groundcrew of aircraft
"B" which also has over 100 operational sorties to its credit is
published herewith:—
[Main Photograph: A group of eleven personnel in tropical service dress posed in front of the nose and propeller of a Martin Marauder III aircraft. The letter 'B' and mission tallies are visible on the fuselage.]
[Inset Photograph: A portrait of an individual airman centered below the main group.]
The names together with number of raids appearing in the

above photograph and reading left to right are:—
Standing) Lt. M.J. Gildenhuys (105) Lt. P.J. Naude (111) Maj. G.N.
Dieu D.F.C. (112) Lt/Col. D. Ord D.F.C. (104) Maj. W.J.O. Musgrove (110)
Lt. D.B. Jordaan (108).
Squatting) Capt. B. Forster (122) Lt. J.C. Smit D.F.M. (108) Capt.
W.H. Hodges D.F.C. (102) Lt. J.G.E. Bedford (113) W/O. B. Peckitt (117).
Sitting) Ground crew of aircraft 'B'. INSET LT THARKLE (105)
The ten aircrew referred to in para. 1 carried out their
raids on Baltimore and subsequently Marauder aircraft. Operations
included close support for the 8th Army, which entailed the bombing
of Bridges, Railway Marshalling Yards, Factories, Ammo. Dumps, Harbour
installations, Troop Concentrations etc.
[handwritten signature]
Lt.
S.I.O. 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F.
July 1945.

Transcriber's Notes

Phase 2: Technical Expansion (The "Transcriber's Notes")
Glossary of Terms
* 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F.: No. 21 Squadron, South African Air Force. A medium bomber unit operating within No. 3 Wing SAAF as part of the Desert Air Force.
* AIRCRAFT 'B' (BLIKSEM): Martin Marauder III, serial No. 561. The aircraft, named "Bliksem" (Afrikaans for "Lightning"), achieved a squadron record of 108 operational raids by the cessation of hostilities.
* BA-BH (MARTIN BALTIMORE): The twin-engine medium bomber utilized by the squadron until its conversion to the Marauder in July 1944. Veteran aircrew listed in this document completed their early tours on this type.
* D.F.C. / D.F.M.: Distinguished Flying Cross and Distinguished Flying Medal.
* MC/GP (MEDIUM CAPACITY / GENERAL PURPOSE): Standard Allied demolition bombs (250lb and 500lb) used by the squadron's aircraft against infrastructure targets.
* MET: Meteorological data. Accurate MET reporting was essential for the high-altitude precision formation bombing required for the raids listed (e.g., Malcontenta).
* S.I.O.: Squadron Intelligence Officer.
Operational Context
Target File 271-7_6, designated as Appendix "A", serves as a formal commemorative record of the technical and operational endurance of No. 21 Squadron personnel upon the cessation of hostilities on 8th May 1945. The strategic importance of the aircrews listed lies in their sustained role in the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) "corking" strategy—denying German Heeresgruppe C the use of logistical arteries through the precision destruction of Po Valley infrastructure.
The document highlights the rare achievement of twelve aircrews exceeding 100 operational sorties, with the majority (10) performing their entire combat tour within the unit. This operational continuity was maintained through the transition from the Martin Baltimore to the Martin Marauder III in mid-1944. The sortie tallies—ranging from 102 by Capt. W.H. Hodges to 122 by Capt. B. Forster—represent a significant contribution to the Allied interdiction of marshalling yards, ammunition dumps, and bridgeheads during the final 1945 spring offensive.
The featured aircraft, "B" for Bliksem, symbolizes the technical efficiency of the squadron's ground crews, who maintained the airframe through its own record of 108 raids and 483.55 operational hours. By July 1945, when this record was finalized at Rivolto, these veteran crews had transitioned from kinetic strikes to "Air Trooping" duties, transporting over 1,000 personnel to Southern Italian hubs to facilitate repatriation to the Union of South Africa.

7
Phase 1: Verification & Extraction
Identity Check: 8th July, 1945.