[Routine Order] SQUADRON ROUTINE ORDER NO. 23/43 No. 21 Squadron S.A.A.F.

Wednesday, 7 April 1943 Other

Document

SQUADRON ROUTINE ORDER NO. 23/43 No. 21 Squadron S.A.A.F.
by
LIEUT. COL. C.E. COPPEN D.F.C.
Officer Commanding
No. 21 Squadron S.A.A.F.
Middle East.
7th April 1943
Para. 58: RE-ATTESTATIONS:
It is notified for the information of all minors in the Squadron, who wish to
sign the new oath, that their parents, or guardian's, consent is only valid
when given on Form DD78. Those that require their parents, or guardian's,
consent must therefore report to the Orderly Room to be issued with the
consent form. Those that have already handed in the parents, or guardian's,
consent, have also to obtain the new form, as the consents handed in by them
are invalid.
Para. 59: TYPHUS FEVER:
This dangerous disease, of which new cases appear daily in neighbouring
villages, is carried by the head-louse and the body-louse. It is not
by the "crab-louse". "T.A.B." inoculations do not protect against it
there is at present no effective inoculation for it. It killed abo
seven in the recent Russian epidemic.
Typhus is caused by a minute microbe that infects men and lice. Lice li
either in the hair or in the seams of the clothing and when infected l
they infect the man they bite. Without lice you won't get typhus.
Danger will be minimised by the observation of the following precautions:
* Observation of all Orders placing villages Out of Bounds to All Ran
* Frequent bathing and washing, and regular washing of clothes.
* The cult of nudity and of closely-cropped hair.
* Regular airing of blankets and bedding.
* Rigid exclusion of wogs from camps and cookhouses, and the prevent
fraternisation, particularly with the Cape Corps.
(A.R.O. Serial 6 Para 3.)
Para. 60: PROMOTIONS, REMUSTERINGS AND INCREMENTS - OTHER RANKS.
The following is an extract of a minute received from the Assistant Dire
Air Personnel: Published for the information of all ranks: -
i. All temporary promotion is completely "frozen" until further
ii. Urgent and special cases to meet operational needs may b
unpaid rank, but only after reference to the Adjutant General.
iii. Remusterings and regradings to or in artisan musterings can be emp
only by the Artisan Board established by the A.G.
iv. Increments may only be granted at intervals of 6 months.
All the above take effect, as far as the S.A.A.F. is concerned, from 15th
1943. This means that all promotions, remusterings and regradings, and
of the increments published subsequent to that date are out of order.
authority has, however, been sought through D.A.P. & Org. and all oc
will be advised in due course whether this has been granted.
It is observed that D.A.P. & Org. is making further strong representat
the matter, and it is considered that recommendations as at 1st April
submitted in the ordinary way so that, if a relaxation of the instru
obtained, Headquarters will be in a position to proceed without delay a
as authority to do so is received.
(24/3/1 Serial 18: ADAP/ME/3/1/1)
[Handwritten Signature]
.........................Ma
Adjutant No. 21 Squadron S.A.
NOTICE. THE U.D.F.I. Canteen visit to this Squadron scheduled for to-morrow th
April has been cancelled, probably only for one or two days. A furthe
will be published in due course advising when this canteen will visit
Squadron.

Transcriber's Notes

Phase 2: Technical Expansion
Glossary of Terms
* S.A.A.F.: South African Air Force.
* LIEUT. COL. C.E. COPPEN D.F.C.: Lieutenant Colonel C.E. Coppen, Distinguished Flying Cross. Commanding Officer of No. 21 Squadron.
* Form DD78: A specific personnel document utilized for recording legal parental consent for minors serving in the South African forces.
* "T.A.B.": A vaccine commonly used to protect against Typhoid and Paratyphoid A and B; the order explicitly notes its ineffectiveness against Typhus Fever.
* A.R.O.: Air Routine Order.
* Cape Corps: A South African military unit primarily composed of Coloured personnel; the order indicates specific restrictions on fraternization with this group in the context of Typhus prevention.
* Adjutant General (A.G.): The senior administrative authority in the military hierarchy responsible for personnel and artisan board oversight.
* D.A.P. & Org.: Director of Air Personnel and Organisation.
* U.D.F.I.: Union Defence Force Institute. The organization responsible for providing canteen services to South African units.
Operational Context
The directives issued in Routine Order No. 23/43 on 7 April 1943 document the administrative and sanitary challenges facing No. 21 Squadron S.A.A.F. during the Allied pursuit of Axis forces in Tunisia. Strategically, this period follows the British Eighth Army's breakthrough at the Wadi Akarit line on 6 April. As the squadron's Martin Baltimore light bombers continued offensive interdiction of retreating Axis Motor Transport (MT) along the Gabes-Sfax road, the ground echelon had to manage the risks associated with moving into newly liberated or contested areas.
The prominent warning regarding Typhus Fever reflects a major non-combat threat to operational readiness. The identification of neighboring villages as infection sources and the strict mandate for "Out of Bounds" orders, closely-cropped hair, and bather/clothing hygiene underscores the D.A.F.'s reliance on preventative measures in the absence of an effective vaccine. Furthermore, the cancellation of the U.D.F.I. Canteen visit and the "freezing" of temporary promotions and pay increments illustrate the logistical and administrative strain on unit morale and bureaucracy as the squadron leapfrogged forward to Landing Ground Senem to maintain tactical pressure on the retreating German 1st Italian Army. These administrative records are essential for understanding the environmental and systemic constraints that shaped the squadron's performance during the final weeks of the North African campaign.

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Phase 1: Verification & Extraction
Identity Check: 8 APR 43