[Routine Order] "J" 17 — Orders & Appendices

Document

"J" 17
SQUADRON ROUTINE ORDER NO. 22/43 NO. 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F.
by
LT. COL. C.E. COPPEN D.F.C.
Officer Commanding
No. 21 Squadron S.A.A.F.
Middle East
7th. April 1943.
Para 53. BLACK-OUT.
Blackout regulations will be strictly en-
forced in this Camp. All personnel will pay particular atten-
tion to tent doorways etc. and flaps will be kept closed
until lights are extinguished. Any personnel showing lights
from their tents will have their lanterns confiscated.
Para 54. SLIT-TRENCHES.
All personnel will take immediate steps to
dig slit-trenches near their tents. As the ground is very
hard in this camp, tents need not be "dug in".
Para 55. CAMP.
All transport will be taken out of the camp
lines forthwith and w.e.f. from 7th. April the only transport
allowed within the camp lines will be:- Operations vehicles
for taking aircrews to their aircraft and essential services
such as hygiene etc.
The main road leading through the camp will be closed off at
the camp boundaries and all vehicles will be diverted around
the outside, i.e. north side of the camp.
Para 56. CANTEEN.
The U.D.F.I. Canteen has been permanently
attached to this Wing. It will spend one day at each of the
Squadrons in turn, as well as Wing and 31 A.S.P. The programme
is as follows:-
3 Wing on the 6th., 11th. and 16th. April
24 Sqn. on the 7th., 12th., and 17th. April
21 Sqn. on the 8th., 13th. and 18th. April
12 Sqn. on the 9th., 14th., and 19th. April
31 A.S.P. on the 10th., 15th. and 20th. April
The Canteen will arrive at the Squadron at 08.30 hrs. and will
stay the whole day. Under no circumstances whatever will
personnell of this squadron be permitted to buy from the
canteen at other squadrons nor will personnel from other
squadrons be permitted to buy from it on the day on which it
is visiting this squadron.
Sections will adhere strictly to the time table as laid down
below. Section officers will endeavor to allow a steady flow
of personnel to go to the canteen so as to prevent long queues
and consequent loss of manhours in the sections.
H.Q. Flight and Armourers. 08.30 — 09.30
A. Flight and M.T. Section 09.30 — 10.30
B. Flight and Clerks 10.30 — 11.30
Electr. and Signals Sect. 11.30 — 12.30
From 12.30 — 13.00 all those who have not been able to
get off in the morning.
The Rest 14.00 — 15.00
Flying Crew N.C.O.'s 15.00 — 16.00
Officers 16.00 — 17.00
From 17.00 — 17.30 all those who were not able to get
off in the afternoon.
The Rest consists of Barbers, Blacksmiths, Carpenter, Cooks and
Butchers, Disciplinary, Fabric Workers, Stores T & Q., Instrument
Section, S.M. Workers, Photo Section, Turner Machinists.
Page 2/

Transcriber's Notes

Phase 2: Technical Expansion
Glossary of Terms
* LT. COL. C.E. COPPEN D.F.C.: Lieutenant Colonel C.E. Coppen, Distinguished Flying Cross. He was the Officer Commanding No. 21 Squadron S.A.A.F. during this period.
* S.A.A.F.: South African Air Force.
* PARA: Paragraph.
* SLIT-TRENCHES: Narrow defensive excavations intended to provide individual cover against shell splinters and aerial bombardment.
* W.E.F.: With effect from.
* M.T. SECTION: Motor Transport Section. The personnel responsible for the maintenance and operation of the squadron's ground vehicles.
* U.D.F.I.: Union Defence Force Institute. This was the South African equivalent of the British NAAFI, providing canteen and welfare services to the troops.
* WING: No. 3 Wing S.A.A.F. The higher formation comprising No. 12, No. 21, and No. 24 Squadrons.
* 31 A.S.P.: No. 31 Air Stores Park. A specialized logistical unit providing technical stores and spares to the Wing.
* N.C.O.'s: Non-Commissioned Officers.
* S.M. WORKERS: Sheet Metal Workers.
* STORES T & Q.: Technical and Quartermaster Stores.
Operational Context
This Routine Order, issued on 7 April 1943, reflects the transition of No. 21 Squadron S.A.A.F. to a new operational environment immediately following the Allied breakthrough at the Wadi Akarit line. The squadron had relocated from its previous landing ground at Zuara to the forward landing ground at Senem only two days prior, on 5 April.
The strategic importance of this location was its proximity to the retreating Axis 1st Italian Army and elements of the Afrika Korps. As the Axis forces withdrew rapidly from the Akarit positions toward the Enfidaville line, No. 21 Squadron’s Martin Baltimore light bombers were tasked with maintaining high-pressure "air blitz" interdiction of the Gabes-Sfax road.
The administrative directives within the order underscore the precariousness of this forward position. The strict enforcement of Black-out regulations and the immediate requirement for slit-trenches were defensive necessities against potential retaliatory strikes by the Luftwaffe, which remained active in the region as evidenced by sightings of FW 190 fighters during sorties on the same day. Furthermore, the detailed scheduling of the U.D.F.I. Canteen rotation among the units of No. 3 Wing illustrates the logistical complexity of maintaining morale and providing essential services to thousands of personnel while operating from austere, forward-deployed desert landing grounds during the final stages of the North African campaign.

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Phase 1: Verification & Extraction
Identity Check: No date is listed in a specific 'Date' column on this page; however, the header identifies the document as a continuation of the Routine Order dated 7th. April 1943.