The camp was visited this morning by the South African Broadcasting Mobile Recording Unit which came to record messages for relatives and friends of forty members of the squadron. Four officers and 36 other ranks were selected "out of the hat" to make this broadcast for the Union and as practically all had been ten or more months in the field, this opportunity to send greetings to the "folks at home" made the day a red-letter one indeed.
Completely equipped with transport, tentage, rations etc. the ground personnel for KASFAREET and SHANDUR left for their respective destinations this morning.
In the presence of many prominent visitors, including the Bishop of Pretoria, Maj. Gen. Theron (G.O.A., U.D.F. ME.) Col. Hingeston (S.A.O.A., S.A.A.F.) and Squadron and Flight Commanders and personnel from many S.A.A.F. Squadrons, the squadron concert party made their contribution to the fun and entertainment of the concert celebrating the opening of the S.A.A.F. Base Camp. Without any personal trumpet blowing by this unit, it may be said that the "Sand-phoneys" held their own from the beginning to the end of their performance, while many of the individual efforts had the stamp of the professional about them.
A most successful evening, "Sandphones" !!
We had one of the worst dust-storms we have had for a long time today. It was a howling gale that lasted all day and blew down about six living tents and the Airmen’s Mess. Just after lunch, in all the dust, the A.O.C. visited the Squadrons in the Wing and gave us a bit of a pep talk in the Mess and at the same time congratulated us on the show on the 26th.
Oprep. 243
No raids were carried out to-day owing to strong winds. The morale of the camp received a boost to-day as a large mail arrived. The Met. Section reported that we could expect good weather as from the following day. A signal was received to the effect that the Leave Camp at SORRENTO was temporarily closed.