[Routine Order] "A" — Orders & Appendices

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"A"

SQUADRON ROUTINE ORDER NO. 4/43 No. 21 Squadron S.A.A.F. 65
by

LIEUT. COL. C.S. COPPEN
-----------------------
Officer Commanding,
No. 21 Squadron S.A.A.F.
Middle East,
1st February 1943.

Para. 4: PAY BOOKS:
Pay books of all Officers and Other Ranks and required for
checking of innoculations and vaccinations and are to be handed to the Pay
Clerk at the Parachute Section by not later than 16.30 hours on Wednesday
the 3rd February 1943.
Para. 5: M.T. HELD BY FLIGHTS AND SECTIONS:
Officers and N.C.O's in charge of Flights
and Sections holding M.T. vehicles will ensure that all such vehicles are
immobilised by the removal of a vital part, from dusk to dawn every day.
Duty vehicles urgently required for official purposes are excepted under the
above order and then only whilst actually in use.
Para. 6: SHOOTING AT GAME:
The hunting and shooting of all game is hereby prohibited.
(Auth. O.C. No. 3 S.A. Wing)
Para. 7: UNAUTHORISED DRAWING OF WATER:
The drawing of unapproved water at wells and
cisterns in the desert is prohibited.
Personnel drawing water other than that issued
in the Squadron, will first obtain permission thereto, or if intending to
draw from such a source which is being controlled by No. 3 (S.A) Wing, an
approved authority will first be obtained from the Adjutant.
Para. 8: ROAD DISCIPLINE:
The Senior Rank travelling in a vehicle is responsible
for taking reasonable steps to ensure the observance of road discipline by
the driver and, if he knowingly permits a breach of road discipline, action
may be taken against him as well as the driver.
(Admin. Orders Para. 514)
Para. 9: RATIONS - BARTERING OF:
The bartering of Sugar, Tea and other articles of
food, in exchange for Eggs and other local produce, is seriously affecting
the ration entitlement of troops located in Cyrenaica.
This practice is an offence under Military Law
and is to cease forthwith. (Admin. Orders Para. 515)
(Handwritten Signature: [Illegible]) Major.
Adjutant No. 21 Squadron S.A.A.F.

Transcriber's Notes

Phase 2: Technical Expansion (The "Transcriber's Notes")
Glossary of Terms:
* S.A.A.F.: South African Air Force.
* LIEUT. COL. C.S. COPPEN: Lieutenant Colonel C.S. Coppen, the Officer Commanding (O.C.) of No. 21 Squadron S.A.A.F.
* Other Ranks: Enlisted personnel below the rank of commissioned officers.
* N.C.O's: Non-Commissioned Officers.
* M.T.: Mechanical Transport, referring to the various ground vehicles used for squadron logistics and movement.
* No. 3 S.A. Wing: No. 3 (South African) Wing, the higher administrative formation to which 21 Squadron belonged.
* Adjutant: The staff officer responsible for squadron administration and official correspondence.
* Cyrenaica: The eastern coastal region of Libya, through which the squadron moved during the North African campaign.
Operational Context:
Squadron Routine Order No. 4/43, issued on 1 February 1943, provides primary evidence of the administrative and disciplinary challenges faced by No. 21 Squadron S.A.A.F. during the transition from the Western Desert to the Tunisian campaign. Strategically, this period followed the fall of Tripoli on 23 January 1943, as Allied forces consolidated their gains in Libya before pushing toward the Mareth Line.
The orders illustrate the rigorous security and conservation measures required in a harsh desert environment. The requirement to "immobilise" M.T. vehicles nightly by removing a "vital part" reflects a standard precaution against theft or sabotage in newly liberated territories. Furthermore, the prohibitions against unauthorized water drawing and hunting underscore the fragile nature of desert logistics, where local resources were strictly controlled by No. 3 (S.A.) Wing to ensure the sustainability of the advancing forces.
Disciplinary concerns regarding "road discipline" and the "bartering of rations" (specifically sugar and tea for eggs) indicate the strains on the supply chain within Cyrenaica. Such practices were deemed offenses under Military Law because they disrupted established ration entitlements. This document, archived as Folio 65, highlights the essential "behind-the-lines" management required to maintain the operational readiness of the Martin Baltimore light bombers as the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) prepared for the definitive assault on Tunisia.

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Phase 1: Verification & Extraction
Identity Check: 1st February 1943.