[Routine Order] APPENDIX "E" — Orders & Appendices

Document

APPENDIX "E"
SQUADRON ROUTINE ORDERS No. 8/44 21 SQUADRON, S.A.A.F.
By
LT.COL. A.C. JANDRELL, D.F.C.
Officer Commanding,
21 Squadron, S.A.A.F.
5th February, 1944.
Para. 39. CENSORING OF MAIL.
DUTY OFFICERS.
The undermentioned officers will report to the Assistant
Adjutant for the above duty at 14.00 hours on the dates set out opposite
their names.
Lieut. E.T. White. Monday 7. 2. 44.
" C. te Water-Pohl. "
" K.J. Barnes Tuesday 8. 2. 44.
" J.H. v. d. Merwe "
" F.J.L. Dive Wednesday 9. 2. 44
" C. von Schalkwyk "
2nd/Lt. J. Thompson Thursday 10. 2. 44.
" J.K. du Preez. "
Licut. A.J. Case Friday 11. 2. 44
" E. Jensen "
2nd/Lt. R.C. Witte Saturday 12. 2. 44.
" J.L. Pieters "
" C.T.M. Cockburn Sunday 13. 2. 44.
" C. Strydom "
Should an officer be unable to report owing to operations, he
will notify the Assistant Adjutant before his tour of duty is to commence
and hand in the name of a substitute. It will be his responsibility to
obtain, and warn, the officer who is taking his place.
(Signature illegible) LT.COL.,
OFFICER COMMANDING, 21 SQUADRON, S.A.A.F.
N O T I C E.
L O S T
ONE LEICA CAMERA in leather shoulder case:
Lens, F 3.5 - Kodachrome filter.
Left hanging on J.U.88 in 3 Wing H.Q. Camp. Property of
Lt. N. C. Debovoise, 4th P. P. S., 90th P. W. R., San Severo.
REWARD : Lira 1500. Finder please report to Major Viljoen, Adjutant.

Transcriber's Notes

Transcriber's Notes:
* Document Type: This is a Squadron Routine Order (S.R.O.), specifically No. 8/44. These orders managed the administrative duties of the officers when not flying.
* Mail Censorship:
* "Censoring of Mail": In WWII, all soldier mail was subject to censorship to prevent the leak of operational details (locations, planned movements, morale issues). Junior officers were typically rostered to read the letters of the enlisted men (Other Ranks) in their unit. This was often a tedious and disliked duty, hence the formal roster.
* The Roster: The list provides a snapshot of the junior officers (Lieutenants and 2nd Lieutenants) serving in the squadron at this time. Many of these names (e.g., te Water-Pohl, van Schalkwyk, du Preez, Strydom) are distinctly South African (Afrikaans surnames).
* Notice - Lost Property:
* Leica Camera: A high-value item. Leicas were prestigious German cameras, prized for their quality.
* "J.U.88": Refers to a Junkers Ju 88 , a German multi-role combat aircraft. The context "Left hanging on J.U.88 in 3 Wing H.Q. Camp" implies this was likely a captured or crashed German aircraft kept as a trophy or for technical evaluation at the Wing Headquarters.
* "Lt. N. C. Debovoise": The owner is listed with a complex unit affiliation: "4th P. P. S., 90th P. W. R., San Severo."
* PPS: Possibly "Photo Production Section" or similar specialist unit.
* PWR: Possibly "Photo Wing Reconnaissance" or "Photo Wireless Regiment" (less likely). Given the camera (Leica with Kodachrome filter), he was likely a specialist photographer or reconnaissance officer.
* San Severo: A major airfield complex north of Foggia, housing many US and Allied strategic air units (like the 15th Air Force's P-51 groups).
* Reward: "Lira 1500." The Allied Military Lira (AM-Lira) was the currency issued by the Allies in occupied Italy. 1500 Lira was a significant sum, reflecting the value of the camera.
* Major Viljoen, Adjutant: The Adjutant named here is Major Viljoen. This is a discrepancy with the main diary text, which lists Lieut. J.F. MacRitchie as the Admin Officer leaving on Feb 1st and being replaced by Lieut. Fergusson on Feb 7th. Major Viljoen might be the Wing Adjutant or a temporary senior administrator not mentioned in the daily narrative.

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Verification:
Target File Verification: The document is an "APPENDIX 'F'" Sortie Report. The date in the header is "8 Feb 44".