Operational Order No. 9

Date unknown

The National Archives' reference AIR 27/273/273Secret MOVEMENT ORDER NO. 9 — NO. 21 SQUADRON COPY NO.....25BYLIEUT.-COL. A. D. IRVINEOfficer Commanding,No. 21 Squadron, S.A.A.F.July 28th, 1942.INTENTION: * No. 21 Squadron (Main Party) will proceed to L.G. 212, Kasfareet, on the morning of July 30th, 1942 and will make all preparations for the reception there of aircraft.EXECUTION:2. All personnel of the squadron will proceed by road in the vehicles assigned to them in accordance with Annexure "A" attached hereto and will be ready to move from El Firdan, with kit, equipment and tentage, at 10.30 hours. The move to Kasfareet is to be completed by 1300 hours.ADMINISTRATION:3. Capt. P. W. Van Heerden will be O. C. Convoy. * The convoy will proceed direct to L.G. 212 and any halt made will be at the orders of O. C. Convoy. * All vehicles when packed, will be drawn up in convoy order outside the permanent buildings at the entrance to El Firdan station, ready to move at 1030 hours. * Personnel will be responsible for the striking and packing of their own living tents. Tents will be rolled and tent pegs placed inside the tents, ready for packing. * El Firdan camp will be left in a clean and tidy condition. Officers and N.C.O.'s in charge of sections will be held responsible that all permanent buildings and the precincts of their sections are vacated in this condition. Lines are to be cleared of all litter and the senior N.C.O. or airman of each tent will be responsible for the cleanliness of the lines in the vicinity of his tent. * The respective canteen stewards will be responsible for the packing, safeguarding on convoy and unpacking at destination of all canteen stocks held by the various messes at the time of departure of convoy. * Immediately after breakfast has been served, N.C.O.'s in charge of the messes will see that all mess equipment is packed on the transport provided and that the messes and surroundings are left in a clean and presentable condition. Black-out curtains in messes will also be packed. * The post truck will leave at the normal hour for Cairo but will return direct to Kasfareet. * Guard duties, carried out by the Cape Corps, will be handed over to the guard provided by the detachment from 63 R.S.U, prior to departure. * Completion of the move will be signalled to H.Q., R.A.F., M.E. repeat Air Headquarters Egypt. (Handwritten: W.S. O'Brien) major for Lt. Col., Officer Commanding, No. 21 Squadron, S.A.A.F.

DISTRIBUTIONCopy No. 1 — SAOA S.A.A.F." " 2 — O.C. 21 Squadron" " 3 — O.C. Convoy" " 4-6 — War diary." " 7-8 File.The National Archives' reference AIR 27/273/27326ANNEXURE "A"SCHEDULE OF VEHICLES FOR TRANSPORTINGPERSONNEL AND EQUIPMENTOFFICERS' MESS Two trucks will be provided and will be ready at 0500hours for loading mess and barrack room equipment andfor kitchen personnel.OFFICERS Transport for officers will be parked at 0600 hours out-side the permanent station buildings for loading of per-sonal kit and to transport officers.SERGEANTS' MESS Two trucks will be provided and will be ready at 0500 hoursfor loading mess and barrack room equipment and kitchenpersonnel.SERGEANTS Trucks will be available from 0600 hours for the loadingof tentage outside the Sergeants Mess. Additional transportwill be available at the same place for the transport ofpersonal kit and personnel.A/M'S MESS Two trucks will be provided and will be ready at 0500hours for loading mess, barrack room equipment and kitchenpersonnel.AIR MECHANICS Trucks will be available from 0600 hours for the loadingof tentage outside the Sergeants' Mess. Additionaltransport will be available at the same time for thetransport of k t and personnel.CAPE CORPS Trucks will be available outside the Cape Corps linesfrom 0600 hours for the transport of mess tentage andequipment, tents personal kit and personnel.SIGNAL SECTION. One truck will be provided for the transport of personalkit and tentage of all members of the Signal section.Tentage and other equipment will be transported in vehiclesheld by the Signal Section.ADMINISTRATIVE One truck will be assigned to transport Intelligence andAdministrative files and equipment and will be parkedoutside the orderly room at 0600 hours.eachTrucks for personnel will/carry 14 details with kit.

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Original page(s): 25, 26

Transcriber's Notes

Phase 2: Technical Expansion (The "Transcriber's Notes") Glossary of Terms: * LIEUT.-COL. / Lt. Col.: Lieutenant-Colonel, the rank of the Officer Commanding No. 21 Squadron, A. D. Irvine. * S.A.A.F.: South African Air Force. * L.G. 212: Landing Ground 212, located at Kasfareet, Egypt. * O. C. Convoy: Officer Commanding the Convoy. * N.C.O.'s: Non-Commissioned Officers. * Cape Corps: A South African military unit primarily composed of personnel from the Western Cape, used for administrative and guard duties. * 63 R.S.U.: No. 63 Repair and Salvage Unit. * H.Q., R.A.F., M.E.: Headquarters, Royal Air Force, Middle East. * SAOA S.A.A.F.: Senior Air Officer Administration, South African Air Force. Operational Context: Movement Order No. 9 reflects a significant logistical pivot following the conclusion of the first Battle of El Alamein in July 1942. At this time, the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) were stabilizing their rear echelons after the rapid retreat known as the "Gazala Gallop." El Firdan, located along the Suez Canal, served as a temporary staging point during the consolidation of Allied forces. The move to L.G. 212 (Kasfareet) was strategically critical for No. 21 Squadron's technical readiness. Kasfareet was a major aviation hub that provided more stable infrastructure for the "reception of aircraft" than forward desert strips. During this window, the squadron was finalizing its operational conversion to the Martin Baltimore light bomber. These twin-engine aircraft were essential for the Desert Air Force's (DAF) interdiction campaign against Axis supply lines stretching back to Libya. The administrative detail regarding the "Cape Corps" and "63 R.S.U." highlights the integrated nature of Commonwealth logistical support. By transitioning from El Firdan to the specialized airfield at Kasfareet, No. 21 Squadron was positioning itself for the high-intensity air offensive that would eventually characterize the lead-up to the Second Battle of El Alamein in late 1942. The handwritten signature of "W.S. O'Brien," acting for the Officer Commanding, denotes the high-level coordination required to move an entire squadron's ground party and infrastructure by road convoy. 35 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: No specific date is recorded in a 'Date' column on this specific image; however, internal cross-referencing with the preceding document, Movement Order No. 9, identifies the associated date as July 28th, 1942. Phase 2: Technical Expansion (The "Transcriber's Notes") Glossary of Terms: * ANNEXURE "A": A formal technical appendix to Movement Order No. 9 detailing the logistical allocation for a unit relocation. * A/M'S MESS: Air Mechanics' Mess. The dining and social facility for the squadron’s technical ground crew. * AIR MECHANICS: Technical personnel responsible for the first-line maintenance and repair of the squadron's Martin Baltimore light bombers. * CAPE CORPS: A non-combatant South African military unit primarily utilized for administrative, logistical, and guard duties during the North African campaign. * SIGNAL SECTION: The sub-unit responsible for the maintenance and operation of the squadron's wireless communication and telephone equipment. * INTELLIGENCE: Personnel responsible for processing mission data, target imagery, and enemy order of battle information. * k t: Archival shorthand for "kit," referring to the personal equipment and belongings of individual airmen. * DETAILS: Individual personnel or airmen assigned to a specific transport vehicle. Operational Context: Annexure "A" serves as the technical loading manifest for the relocation of No. 21 Squadron SAAF from El Firdan to Landing Ground (L.G.) 212 at Kasfareet on July 30th, 1942. This movement was executed in the immediate aftermath of the First Battle of El Alamein, a critical juncture where the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) were stabilizing their logistical tail after the rapid Axis advance into Egypt. The strategic prioritization of moving "Intelligence and Administrative files" and "Signal Section" equipment at 0600 hours highlights the command's necessity to maintain operational continuity even during transit. Kasfareet, as a major technical hub, provided the stable infrastructure required for the squadron to finalize its operational transition to the Martin Baltimore bomber. The high density of personnel loading—14 "details" per truck—indicates a focused effort to maximize available motor transport during a period when logistical resources in the Middle East were under extreme strain. The inclusion of the "Cape Corps" in the transport schedule underscores the essential role of specialized support units in managing the squadron's infrastructure, such as tentage and mess equipment, allowing the technical personnel to focus on aircraft readiness. This document, marked as folio 26, is a vital administrative record of the high-level coordination required to maintain a combat-ready light bomber squadron in the fluid tactical landscape of the Western Desert. 36 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: 21st August 1942.