[Routine Order] SQUADRON ROUTINE ORDER NO. 65/43 (Cont'd) Page 4. — Orders & Appendices

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SQUADRON ROUTINE ORDER NO. 65/43 (Cont'd) Page 4.
air transport and the Coastguard, but also to employees of the Army and Air Force Institutes in respect of service with the Army at sea or overseas. They will also be awarded in specified Civil Defence Services, the Fire guard, the police and the National Fire Service, to Nurses in Hospitals under the control of Government Departmental authorities or in the recognised voluntary hospitals, and, in addition, to lighthouse and lightvessel keepers serving under the three general lighthouse authorities.
* WOUND STRIPES:— The wound stripes, denoting wounds sustained in the present war, will be of narrow gold braid and 1½ inches in length. They are to be worn vertically on the left forearm. One is to be worn in respect of each occasion on which the individual is wounded. The wound stripes will in the Civil Defence services, be red. A wound stripe in red has also been approved. This is to denote wounds of previous wars, and only one such stripe will be worn in respect of any number of wounds so sustained. It will be worn to the left of the first gold wound stripe.
* CHEVRONS:— The Chevrons for War service are of one pattern and will be in red, the arms being three quarters of an inch in length. The chevrons are to be worn on uniform on the right forearm. If uniform has not been issued, they will be worn on the armlet or on the dress. One chevron is to be granted for each completed year of service in the present War. A recipient will become eligible for the first chevron at the end of his first completed year of War service, and so on. Special regulations will be required in connection with part-time service.
* CIVIL DEFENCE AND NURSING SERVICES:— Personnel of the aforementioned civil defence services will be eligible for the wound stripes and chevrons:— Ambulance service (including casualty service) de-contamination service, first aid service, messenger service, report and control service, rescue service, the warden service (including shelter wardens), the Nursing service for public air raid shelters and the Civil Defence reserve. There will also be included the Royal Observer Corps and the Port of London Authority River Emergency Service. All Servants forming departmental Civil Defence organisations will be included, if properly enrolled. Enrolled or registered fire guards performing the duties under the local authorities, or at business or Government premises, and Nurses in hospitals for which Government departments or local authorities are responsible, or in the recognised voluntary hospitals, will also be eligible, in addition to the Civil Nursing Reserve.
(REPRINT OF AIR MINISTRY ORDER A.755/43.)
LT.COL.
OFFICER COMMANDING: 21 SQUADRON: S.A.A.F.

Transcriber's Notes

Transcriber's Notes
* Military Abbreviations Expanded:
* LT.COL.: Lieutenant Colonel.
* S.A.A.F.: South African Air Force.
* Observations on Individuals:
* Officer Commanding: While the signature line is left blank on this concluding page, the orders were issued by Lt. Col. J.F. Britz, D.F.C. (Jacobus "Jack" Frederik Britz), who led No. 21 Squadron during the invasion of Sicily and the subsequent Italian campaign.
* Location and Historical Context:
* Current Location: On the date these orders were promulgated (September 5, 1943), the squadron was based at Cuticchi in Sicily. This was just four days prior to Operation Avalanche, the Allied landings at Salerno, Italy.
* Air Ministry Order A.755/43: These routine orders are a local squadron-level reprint of high-level policy originating from London. It reflects the formalization of "War Service" recognition (wound stripes and chevrons) as the conflict entered its fourth year.
* Civilian Recognition: The inclusion of civilian services like the National Fire Service, Royal Observer Corps, and Ambulance services in these military orders emphasizes the "Total War" nature of the conflict, where home-front risks were officially equated with military service for the purposes of these awards.
* Wound Stripes: The distinction between Gold Braid for the current war and Red for previous wars (such as World War I) allowed veterans to showcase their long-term service history on their uniforms.
* Strategic Transition: While the administrative echelons were finalizing these awards for the completed North African campaign, the operational crews—including notable pilots like Capt. Saunders and Lt. Eaton mentioned in concurrent records—were preparing for the intensive night interdiction missions over the Italian mainland that would define the squadron's contribution to the fall of Rome.

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Target File Verification: The entry date found on this document is 9th September, 1943.