[Movement Control and Standing Orders for Operation Lustre] (1) Administrative Instructions for Expeditionary Forces Proceeding from Middle East (Not to be published), Feb 1941 / (2) Amendments No. 1, April 1st, 1941 / (3) Standing Orders for Embarkation of Personnel in the Middle East", GHQ MEF CRME/1789 / Mov. 1, 1941, PME Rota. 59.D.

A collection of Movement Control (MC) related material for WW2 era Egypt and Palestine, including "Administrative Instructions", "Amendments No. 1", and "Standing Orders". The Instructions, dated Feb 1941, were issued at the end of Operation Compass (9 Dec 1940 - 9 Feb 1941), which had resulted in the destruction of the Italian 10th Army, the recapture of western Egypt, and occupation of Cyrenaica. With this victory, most Allied forces were redeployed to support the defence of Greece under Operation Lustre, leaving only a weak force defending the gains made in North Africa. The Amendments dated 1 April 1941 were issued in the midst of redeployment (March-April). (1) INSTRUCTIONS: "Administrative Instructions for Expeditionary Forces proceeding from the Middle East - Not to be Published", Feb 1941. Original black titled brown cloth 14x21cm. Printed by 512 (A Forward Survey) Company, which was set up in the caves at Tura outside Cairo. 32pp with Appendix III and IV bound together in 1 booklet v pp inserted loosely in front pocket as called for. Covers good with wear to corners and rippling to cloth, interiors and inserts near fine, tanned. No author, "by authority of", or responsible department is indicated, but the diverse range of bodies and locations involved suggests a coordinating role for GHQ Middle East Forces in Cairo, with MC bases located in the Cairo Area, Western Desert, Alexandria Port and Area, Suez Canal Area (Port Said, Ismailia Sub-Area, Suez), Lydda, and Haifa Port and Haifa Area through MC, HQ, Palestine (p23), as well as Field authorities. It contains information on secrecy, maps, pay, store and supply accounts, clothing, rationing, private property, movement to port of embarkation; documents, preparing vehicles, marking baggage, etc with appendices on Standing Orders for OC Troop Trains and instructions on board, reports and returns, marking baggage, and the loosely inserted appendices list clothing, necessities, and additional articles for certain personnel. // (2) AMENDMENTS: "Administrative Instructions etc - Amendments No. 1 - Not to be Published", 1 April 1941, self-wraps 12x19cm, 6pp. No accreditations as above. Fine, tanned. Containing several additions and deletions to the above. // (3) STANDING ORDERS: "Standing Orders for Embarkation of Personnel in the Middle East", GHQ MEF CRME / 1789 / Mov. 1, 1941, PME Rota. 59.D. Copy of typescript, self wraps, 11pp stapled foolscap. Good, lightly creased with wear around lower staple. Explicitly credited to General Headquarters, Middle East Forces, this was issued "to reduce the detail usually contained in Movement Control Orders to the absolute minimum" (p1). Part I covers embarkation, baggage, dress, equipment, command, documentation, duties, finance, posts, arms etc, including Declaration form for personal effects. Also included is a tariff of fares for non-entitled personnel and their families listing several destinations in Africa, Arabia, South Asia and Australasia. Part II covers Special Standing Orders Peculiar to the Evacuation of Prisoners of War. Extremely rare with Worldcat locating only 2 of item (1): Australian War Memorial and UNSW Canberra (OCLC 220686268). Not recorded on Library Hub.…