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

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APPENDIX "C"
SQUADRON ROUTINE ORDER NO. 46/45 21 SQUADRON, S.A.A.F. 259
By
LT. COL. D. ORD, D.F.C.
Officer Commanding,
21 Squadron, S.A.A.F.
10th July, 1945.
Para. 168. VISIT : FIELD MARSHAL J.C. SMUTS.
All personnel not on duty will parade outside the Orderly
Room at 08.45 hours, to-morrow morning, 11th July, 1945.
Transport will then convey them to the 24 Squadron Sports
Field where the Field Marshal will make an address.
Dress : Clean shirt, shorts or slacks and Beret. Shoes
and stockings, or boots, hose-tops and anklets.
Return : Approximately 11.00 hours.
Aircrew: All aircrew not flying will attend the parade —
Dress : Shirt, shorts, shoes and stockings.
Para. 169. B.M.A. NOTES & YELLOW SEAL DOLLARS.
B.M.A. Notes and Yellow Seal Dollars cease to be legal
in Italy, including Sicily and Sardinia, as from 31st July.
All personnel in possession of such notes must exchange them
before that date.
(Signal F.329 d.d. 6. 7. 45).
Para. 170. CIGARETTE RATION FROM E.F.I. SOURCES.
On instructions from War Office it has become necessary to
restrict issues of cigarettes from E.F.I. to 65 per man per week
commencing 15th July, 1945.
This cut is being made in all types.
(Airgram Q.37 d.d. 6. 7. 45).
Para. 171. M. T.
Heads of Sections will grant monthly work tickets to drivers
of vehicles between camp and aerodrome only. Special work ticket
must be issued for all other occasions, signed by Officer i/c
Section, Adjutant or M. T. Officer.
Para. 172. IDENTIFICATION CARDS — PHOTOGRAPHS.
All personnel must have their photographs taken for the new
identification cards.
Heads of Sections will please ensure that 50% of their men
report to the Orderly Room between 09.00 and 12.00 hrs. on
Thursday, 12th July, 1945, and that the other 50% report between
the same hours the following day.
Para. 173. VISIT OF CIVILIAN LECTURERS — DR. GIBSON AITKEN.
The above civilian lecturer will be giving a lecture at this
Headquarters (No. 253 Wing, R.A.F.) on the 13th July, 1945, at
10.30 hours, in the Wing Airmens' Mess. He will talk on "New
trends in Industry."
Personnel interested should hand in their names to the
Orderly Room before noon, Thursday, 12th July, 1945 when transport
will be arranged.
[handwritten signature] D. Ord
LT. COL.
COMMANDING, NO. 21 SQUADRON, S.A.A.F.

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. During July 1945, the unit was based at Rivolto, Italy, having transitioned from a medium bomber strike role to post-war transport and occupational duties.
* B.M.A. NOTES: British Military Authority notes. These were a form of military currency issued for use by Allied personnel in liberated or occupied territories.
* BA-BH (MARTIN BALTIMORE): The twin-engine medium bomber utilized by the squadron until late 1943/early 1944. By July 1945, the unit utilized Martin Marauder III (B-26) aircraft, four of which were modified for "trooping" transport missions.
* E.F.I.: Expeditionary Force Institutes, the canteen and retail service for Allied troops, operating under the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI).
* MC/GP (MEDIUM CAPACITY / GENERAL PURPOSE): Standard Allied demolition bombs. These combat loads were no longer in use; instead, the squadron focused on transporting approximately 1,000 personnel during July 1945.
* MET: Meteorological data. Deteriorating weather in July, including heavy rain and thunderstorms, necessitated strict motor transport (M.T.) and camp discipline.
* YELLOW SEAL DOLLARS: A specific type of U.S. currency (Silver Certificates with a yellow seal) issued for use by American troops in North Africa and Italy to prevent Axis forces from using captured standard U.S. currency.
Operational Context
Target File 271-7_8, designated as Appendix "C", contains Squadron Routine Orders No. 46/45 issued by Lt. Col. D. Ord, D.F.C. on 10th July, 1945. The strategic importance of the location at Rivolto during this period was logistical and administrative, as the unit supported the massive repatriation and stabilization efforts of the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF).
The primary event documented is the formal visit of Field Marshal Jan Smuts on 11th July 1945. Smuts addressed the SAAF units at the No. 24 Squadron sports field, emphasizing the technical excellence of the aircrews who had sustained the interdiction campaign against German Heeresgruppe C. The orders detail rigorous dress standards for the parade, reflecting the maintenance of military discipline during the transition to a post-combat footing.
Administrative stabilization is further evidenced by the mandates for new identification cards, the exchange of obsolete military currency (B.M.A. Notes and Yellow Seal Dollars), and the restriction of cigarette rations due to War Office shortages. The prohibition of unauthorized motor transport (M.T.) usage beyond camp-to-aerodrome transit underscores a focus on vehicle conservation and discipline. Finally, the lecture by Dr. Gibson Aitken on "New trends in Industry" at No. 253 Wing R.A.F. headquarters highlights the Allied command's shift toward the "educational and vocational training" of personnel awaiting repatriation to the Union of South Africa.

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Phase 1: Verification & Extraction
Identity Check: 13th July, 1945.