Allied Air Power Doctrine: Royal Air Force War Manual; Volume I - : Appendix IV - General Rules Regarding Orders, Instructions, Reports and Messages

General

1. All orders, instructions, reports and messages must be so clear that the recipient can grasp their intention with a minimum of trouble and delay. There must be no chance of ambiguity or misunderstanding. They must be precise as regards time and place and as brief as is consistent with clearness.

2. All orders, etc., should, whenever possible, be in writing (i.e., printed, typed, or hand written according to the means at the disposal of the sender). A verbal order or message, or one sent by telephone, is more likely to cause misunderstanding than a written one. The first essential of any written document is that it should be easily legible.

3. When for any reason an important order or other message Is issued verbally it should be confirmed in writing by the officer who issues it and by the recipient as soon afterwards as possible, time and date being added. If important orders are sent by telephone they should be written down by the recipient and checked with the sender before ringing off.

4. In all orders, etc., during active service operations, whether verbal or in writing, time should be described on the system of the 24-hour clock. In written messages, a group of four figures, representing hours and minutes should invariably be used. The group of figures should be followed by the word hours, thus seven minutes past four in the afternoon should be shown as 1607 hours ; nine o'clock in the morning, as 0900 hours ; and one minute past midnight, as 0001 hours. In verbal messages the procedure is to be the same, each number being pronounced separately. Thus, 0317 should be pronounced " owe three one seven."

5. A night should be described thus :—Night 29/30 Sept., or night 30 Sept./1 Oct. Midnight should be described as midnight 29/30 Sept., and one minute past midnight as 0001 hours 30 Sept. The groups 2400 and 0000 are not to be used. Messages despatched at midnight are to be timed as 2359 or 0001 hours.

6. In all orders, etc., names of places and persons should be in block capitals, e.g., UXBRIDGE. Names of places must be spelt exactly as given on the map in use and care should be taken to prevent misunderstanding resulting from the existence of more than one place of the same name.

7. If a map is referred to, the one used must be specified (scale and sheet) unless this is already provided for in standing orders. The position of places should, as a rule, be denoted either by co-ordinates, if the map is squared, or by the points of the compass, e.g., " wood, 600 yards S.E. of AMESBURY," or, when no points of reference are available, by actual compass bearings, e.g., "hill 1,500 yards true bearing 272° from CHOBHAM Church," or by description, e.g., "fork roads 1/2 mile south of second A in HARNHAM " the letter indicated being underlined. When using the four cardinal points of the compass, the word should be written in full, e.g., " South of ANDOVER " and not " S. of ANDOVER."

8. A road is best indicated by the names of places on it, care being taken to name sufficient places to ensure that the road intended is followed.

9. A position should be described from right to left looking in the direction of the enemy.

10. An area should be described by taking the northernmost point of the area first and giving the remaining points in clockwise order.

11. The terms " right " and " left " are used in describing river banks, it being assumed that the writer is looking down stream. Except in the foregoing case, indefinite or ambiguous terms such as right, left, before, behind, beyond, front, rear, on this side of, etc., must not be used, unless it is made quite clear to what they refer. If the term "right " (or "left") is applied to our own forces in retirement it is always to be understood that it refers to the original " right " (or " left ") flank when facing the enemy.

12, Anything of an indefinite or conditional nature, such as " dawn," " dusk," " as far as possible," " will await further orders," " should," or " may," is to be avoided.

13. When bearings are given they are invariably to be true bearings.

14. In detailing units or formations from which a portion is excluded the unit or formation should be named and the words "less " appended, e.g., " 1st Wing less Number         Squadron."

15. Abbreviations should be used only when there is no doubt as to their meaning and when they are intelligible to the reader.

16. It is usually convenient to divide all orders, etc., during active service operations, into numbered paragraphs for the sake of clearness and to facilitate reference. As far as possible each paragraph should deal with a separate subject.

17. The writer, having finished his message, should read it through carefully at least once, and, if possible, get someone else to read it, in order to assure himself that it is clear, and, in the case of an order, that it is calculated to influence the recipient in the way intended.

18. All orders, etc., must be clearly signed, the rank of the sender, his appointment, and the force lie is with being stated.

19. A copy of all orders and messages sent should be kept by the sender.

20. Each class of order should be prepared and numbered separately. The heading of the order should indicate the class to which it belongs.

21. Each branch of the staff should keep the other branches informed of any orders or action taken which may concern them.

22. The original and all copies of orders and instructions dealing with operations are to be endorsed with the method and hour of issue or transmission, e.g., "dictated to air staff of 4th and 5th Groups at 1120 hours," or "by signal to 4th and 5th Groups at 1120 hours."

23. Important messages should, when there is danger of their non-delivery or delay, be sent by more than one route or method, and an acknowledgment of receipt obtained. The fact that a message is important should be notified by the officer concerned to the signal service, who are then responsible for selecting the methods to be employed. If important messages are not acknowledged within a reasonable time, such fact should be reported by the signal service to the branch of the air staff or officer concerned.

Drafting of Messages

24. All service messages, whether telegrams, phonograms or wireless messages, should be written on R.A.F. message forms 96 or 818 (small and large) ; the only exception being certain message forms used for special signalling, such as message dropping forms.

25. Responsibility of originator.—In the specimen message form 96, fig. 2 (a), spaces have been numbered 1 to 7. It is the responsibility of the originator of a message to complete these spaces before the message form is handed in to the signal office. The remaining spaces in the message form are for the use of the signal personnel handling the message and are not to be used by the originator. Among other items the originator is responsible for inserting the following in the form

(i) The " Time of Origin " in space 7.

(ii) Inserting the degree of priority (if any) in space 4.

(iii) Deleting either the words " as written," or " in cypher " and inserting the word " NOT " in the appropriate place if the message is not to go by wireless over any portion of its route in space 5.

(iv) Inserting any special ins true tions, such as " Acknowledge," or " By despatch rider " in space 6.

(v) Appending his signature with his rank and appointment as authority for the message in space 6.

It is essential that all these spaces in form 96 should be completed by the originator of a message. If no degree of priority is given, a line must be drawn through space 4. The time of origin must always be given.

26. Wording of messages.—(i) It is of the utmost importance that messages should be worded as briefly as is compatible with perfect clearness.

(ii) Formalities of phrases or addresses, and all superfluous words should be omitted from the text. Such phrases as "submitted," " beg to report as follows," " please," should never be used. The articles " the," " and," " a," (and " an ") are seldom necessary. Personal pronouns should be omitted.

(iii) Messages should be divided into short sentences, punctuation should not be included in the message unless it is essential to the sense of the message. The word "stop " is never to be used to signify " full-stop," the full-stop sign " AAA " should he used. Each space in the part of the message form provided for the text should be used for one word only.

(iv) The first and second spaces in the text must be used for the originator's reference number and date respectively.

(v) Roman figures, underlinings, signs of punctuation, brackets and signs such as those for feet and inches should not be used.

(vi) Abbreviations may be used, but the writer must be satisfied that there can be no doubt as to their meaning. Names of places, persons and negative words should be written in block capital letters (see paragraphs 1 to 23 inclusive).

27. Multiple addresses.—(i) When a message is to be sent to more than one address, the originator will insert all the addresses in the "TO " space on the message form, and will hand into the signal office the same number of copies of the message as there are addressees. If the message is dealt with by land-line or by any other method whereby only one address will appear in the "TO" space on the message form ultimately received by the addressee, it is the responsibility of the signal personnel handling the message to insert at the end of the text all the several addresses to which it has been sent, thus :

TO:— "A".

FROM:—"Z"

(Text)   ... Addressed " A ", " B ", "C ", " D ".

(ii) If the originator of a multiple address message wishes the message to be acted upon by certain addressees, and to be repeated to others for information only, the addressees intended to act on the message will be inserted at the beginning of the "TO" space on the message form, followed by the word "Repeat " and then the addresses of those to whom it is being sent for information only.

When a message in this form is dealt with by land-line the signal personnel handling the message will, as described in the above paragraph, insert at the end of the text all the several addresses, thus:

TO: "A".

FROM:—"Z"

(Text)           ... Addressed "A ", " B ", Repeated " C ", "D ".

28. Reference numbers.—In all messages between ground units the first groups of the text written by the originator should consist of the originator's reference number, the date and, if applicable, the originator's reference number of the message to which a reply is being made. Originator's reference numbers consist of combinations of a letter and figures in the form laid down in R.A.F. Signal Manual, Pt. I. The originator's number of a message must invariably be quoted in reply to that message. Where it is not possible to use an originator's reference number for a message, e.g., aircraft messages, they should be referred to by their " Time of origin." In order to avoid confusion, messages must be timed to the minute of their origin.

29. Acknowledgments.—If the originator of a message desires the addressee to acknowledge the receipt of the message, the words " To be acknowledged " are to be written by the originator in space 6 (see fig. 2(c)). This will be converted by the signal staff for transmission and will he stamped at the signal office of the addressee "To be acknowledged."

30. Priority.—Messages are normally dispatched by the signal staff in the order in which they are handed in. In order to ensure that urgent messages such as those reporting aircraft movements and certain other messages should have precedence over ordinary traffic, instructions are given in R.A.F. Signal Manual, Part I, as to the categories of priority which may be given to a message and the rank or appointment of officers empowered to authorize the use of each category.

31. The originator of a message is responsible for inserting the degree of priority, if any, which a message is to have in the space provided at the bottom of fig. 2(a) (space 4). If the message is not to take precedence over other messages a line should be put through the space marked " Degree of Priority.

32. If a degree of priority is inserted by the originator the signal staff convert it into au operating signal for transmission to the addressee, and on the receipt of a message it is again converted by stamping the degree of priority across the message form in the relevant place.

33. Messages not to be sent by wireless.—When the originator of a message considers that the message should not be transmitted by WIT over any part of its route, the word " NOT " must be inserted by him in the space provided at the bottom of Form 96 (see space 5 in fig. 2 (d)). This instruction is converted by the signal staff for transmission into the special instruction " NOTBYWIT " and on receipt of such a message the signal staff stamp the word " NOTBYWIT " across the message in the correct position.

34. Low grade cypher and code messages.—Whenever the originator wishes to restrict the circulation of a low grade cypher or code he will write the word "NODECO" in the space " Originator's Special Instructions " at the foot of the message form. Similar action will be taken by the signal office as that laid down for " NOTBYWIT " given in the paragraph above.

35. This marking will confine the cyphering, decyphering, coding and decoding, also the handling of such messages, to officers of commissioned rank.

36. All " NODECO " messages both " In " and " Out " will be handed direct to the cypher officer for action.

37. Method of dispatch.—Normally the method of dispatch of a message should be left for the signal service to decide. They are responsible that a message reaches the addressee in the shortest possible time. Should the originator consider it essential to give instructions for a message to be dispatched by a certain method such as by despatch rider, they should be given in the space provided at the foot of Form 96.

38. If the desired method cannot be adopted within a reasonable time according to the degree of priority given to the message, the signal staff should report the circumstances to the originator of the message, giving information as to the probable delay that will ensue if the message is dispatched as instructed and the alternative methods of communication available.

Delivery of Messages to Addressees

39. " In " messages received at the signal office arc entered in the " In " Signal Log (Form 796) in which a column is provided for the signature of the addressee, or his responsible representative, together with the time of delivery of the message. When the signature of the addressee cannot be conveniently obtained in the " In " Signal Log, the message should be sent in a signal delivery envelope (R.A.F. Form 801). The addressee should sign this envelope in the appropriate place on receipt of the message, the envelope is then returned to the signal office and pinned to the office copy of the message. Details of procedure to be followed are given in R.A.F. Signal Manual, Part I.

40. When telegrams are handed in, the counter clerk in the signal office will give a receipt with the time of handing in, either in a book or on a form to be provided by the originator. When delivering a message the signal staff will require a receipt, either in a book or by the return—signed and timed—of the delivery envelope. If the addressee does not put the time he receives the message, it will be assumed that the message was delivered at the same time as it was received at the signal office. This time is entered on the form delivered to the addressee.

41. As far as the signal office is concerned all messages are confidential, and it is a very serious offence for signal personnel to communicate the contents of a message to any unauthorized person. It is equally serious to place airmen in the invidious position of having to refuse to comply with the request of an officer which, in the interest of all concerned, should never have been made.

42. No officer or airman is under any consideration allowed in the operating part of the signal office without the express permission of the signal officer on duty.