Sortie Report (Form 541)
P O S T A G R A M ----------------- "C"
TO : HQ RAF MEFROM : 21 Sqdn SAAFSerial NO : 21 SQD/184.DATE : 1 Feb. 1943. Oprep No 184 for period ending 1800 hrs on 1.2.43:
A to K Nil.Comm : 1 Hr 30 mins. (1 Baltimore) (Handwritten Signature: [Illegible]) Capt. SIO, 21 Sqdn. S A A F Middle East Command "D" I1 21 Squadron S.A.A.F. -------------------- DAILY CASUALTY RETURN **************************** Date, 2nd February, 1943. S.A.A.F. PERSONNEL 67 ------------------ _____________________________________________________________________________ | | On Strength. | Casualties | Total on Duty | |___________________|__________________|_______________|____________________| | Officers. | 95 | 1 | 94 | |___________________|__________________|_______________|____________________| | W.O's | 4 | - | 4 | |___________________|__________________|_______________|____________________| | F/Sgts. | 75 | - | 75 | |___________________|__________________|_______________|____________________| | S/Sgts. | 27 | 1 | 26 | |___________________|__________________|_______________|____________________| | S/Cpls. | 53 | 1 | 52 | |___________________|__________________|_______________|____________________| | A.M'S | 6 | 1 | 5 | |___________________|__________________|_______________|____________________| | Airmen | 173 | 6 | 167 | |___________________|__________________|_______________|____________________| | TOTALS. | 433 | 10 | 423 | |___________________|__________________|_______________|____________________|
ATTACHED PERSONNEL. i. S.A. _____________________________________________________________________________ | | On Strength | Casualties | Total on Duty | |___________________|__________________|_______________|____________________| | Officers. | 2 | - | 2 | |___________________|__________________|_______________|____________________| | Sgts. | 5 | - | 5 | |___________________|__________________|_______________|____________________| | Others. | 6 | - | 6 | |___________________|__________________|_______________|____________________| | TOTALS | 13 | - | 13 | |___________________|__________________|_______________|____________________|
ii. R.A.F. : R.A.A.F. ETC. _____________________________________________________________________________ | | On Strength | Casualties | Total on Duty | |___________________|__________________|_______________|____________________| | Officers. | 1 | - | 1 | |___________________|__________________|_______________|____________________| | Sgts. | 17 | - | 17 | |___________________|__________________|_______________|____________________| | Others. | 3 | - | 3 | |___________________|__________________|_______________|____________________| | TOTALS | 21 | - | 21 | |___________________|__________________|_______________|____________________|
ATTACHED CAPE CORPS _____________________________________________________________________________ | | On Strength | Casualties | Total on Duty | |___________________|__________________|_______________|____________________| | Sgts. | 9 | - | 9 | |___________________|__________________|_______________|____________________| | Cpls. & L/Cpls | 22 | - | 22 | |___________________|__________________|_______________|____________________| | Ptes. | 125 | 1 | 124 | |___________________|__________________|_______________|____________________| | TOTALS | 156 | 1 | 155 | |___________________|__________________|_______________|____________________|
M E S S I N G S T R E N G H T -------------------------------- | Officers' Mess. | Sergeants' Mess. | Mechanics' Mess. | | | Strength......... | Strength......... | Strength......... | N.E.A.S.Mess. | | S.A............ | Att.S.A.......... | Att.S.A.......... | Strength........ | | ............... | Ors.............. | Ors.............. | | |___________________|__________________|__________________|_________________| | S.A.A.F. 82 | 122 | 232 | 155 | |___________________|__________________|__________________|_________________|
Total Strength: 612. Absentees 11. = 601. HOSPITAL: ---------
141726 Lieut. Davies L.S. 25 M.R.S. 29/1/43 205662 A/Sgt Reid D.C. Evacuated 23/1/43 97368 L.A.M Cloete J. 5th General 9/1/43 100786 A/M MacAdam W. 5th " 9/1/43 212073 " Poen H. Bengasi 22/1/43 94859 " Van Dyk H.A. 25 M.R.S. 17/1/43
301689 Pte Martin P. Bengasi 7/1/43
DETACHED: ---------
97264 A/Cpl Bezuidenhout S.J.K. At Kasfareet asst.in repair 693 8/1/43 58309 A/M Olds P.W. do " 208047 " De Lange D.P. do " 98977 " Gittleson J. do "
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Transcriber's Notes
- HQ RAF ME
- Headquarters, Royal Air Force, Middle East.
- 21 Sqdn SAAF
- No. 21 Squadron of the South African Air Force, a light bomber unit then operating Martin Baltimore Mk. III aircraft.
- Oprep
- Operational Report, a standardized summary of tactical results and combat activity for a specified period.
- Nil
- Indicates no combat sorties were conducted during the 24-hour reporting cycle.
- Comm
- Communication flight. Refers to non-combat transport, ferry, or liaison missions conducted outside of tactical bombing or reconnaissance duties.
- SIO
- Senior Intelligence Officer. Operational Context: OPREP No. 184, filed on 1 February 1943, documents a period of tactical stasis for No. 21 Squadron SAAF during the transition between the Libyan and Tunisian campaigns. Strategically, this period follows the definitive Allied breakthrough and the fall of Tripoli on 23 January 1943. The Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) were currently focused on the logistical reorganization of the Desert Air Force (DAF) as ground units pushed toward the Mareth Line in Tunisia. The "Nil" combat entry reflects a necessary operational pause. Having concluded the "road purification" missions against Axis Mechanical Transport (M.T.) in Tripolitania, the squadron was engaged in administrative duties and the relocation of assets to forward landing grounds captured during the advance. The single recorded Communication flight of 1 hour and 30 minutes in a Martin Baltimore was likely utilized for essential liaison or the transport of senior staff, such as the Officer Commanding, Lieutenant Colonel C.S. Coppen, between No. 3 S.A. Wing and squadron headquarters to coordinate the next phase of the offensive. This document, archived as Folio "C" in the AIR 27/274 series, serves as primary evidence of the administrative transition period prior to the definitive Allied assault on Tunisia. 86
- S.A.A.F
- South African Air Force.
- W.O's
- Warrant Officers.
- A.M'S
- Air Mechanics, specialized ground crew responsible for the maintenance of the Martin Baltimore aircraft.
- S.A
- South Africa.
[AUTO-CLASSIFIED — VERIFY CATEGORY]
M E S S I N G S T R E N G H T: Standardized military record of the number of personnel drawing rations at the squadron’s various messes (erroneous spelling in original).
Lieut. / A/Sgt / L.A.M / A/M / Pte / A/Cpl: Lieutenant, Acting Sergeant, Leading Air Mechanic, Air Mechanic, Private, and Acting Corporal, respectively.
asst.in repair 693: Assisting in the technical restoration of Martin Baltimore aircraft serial number 693.