[Routine Order] SQUADRON ROUTINE ORDERS. No. 51/44 continued. PAGE TWO. — Orders & Appendices

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SQUADRON ROUTINE ORDERS. No. 51/44 continued. PAGE TWO.
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Para. 196. DISCIPLINE - NAPLES.
Personnel visiting Naples or any other town in Italy will
NOT enter public conveyances or other civil operated transport. Nor
will they enter places of entertainment, cafes, restaurants, or other
crowded buildings other than those reserved for them. This particularly
applies to civil air raid shelters (RICOVERO) which are universally
infested with lice.
(C.R.O. No. 28. Appendix "B". dd. 13.5.44)
Para. 197. MEDICAL INSPECTION - ITALIANS.
All Italians employed in the camp (batmen included) are to
report to the Medical Officer for inspection at 10.00 hours on
Wednesdays commencing 7th June, 1944.
Para. 198. BOUNDS : MESSES.
The kitchen in each mess is strictly out of bounds to all
ranks at all times except in performance of their duties.
(Signature illegible) Capt.
for LT. COL.
COMMANDING. 21 SQUADRON, S.A.A.F.
N O T I C E S.
FOUND.
Ring found in the Showers.
Torch found in camp.
Owners are requested to report to the Orderly Room.
LOST.
Lost in camp on the 29th May, 1 Pair Glasses in Black Leather Case.
Finder please return same to the Orderly Room.

Transcriber's Notes

Transcriber's Historical & Tactical Notes:
* Public Health Crisis (The Typhus Threat):
* "Universally Infested with Lice": Paragraph 196 contains a stark warning: civil air raid shelters (RICOVERO) are "universally infested with lice.". This is a direct reference to the typhus epidemic that had ravaged Naples in the winter of 1943–44. Typhus is spread by body lice. Although a massive DDT dusting campaign (the first of its kind in history) had largely suppressed the outbreak by early 1944, the command remained terrified of a resurgence among the troops.
* Segregation: To protect the soldiers, they were banned from "public conveyances," "cafes," and "restaurants," effectively isolating them from the local population in crowded spaces where lice transmission was most likely.
* Local Labor (Italian "Batmen"):
* Camp Integration: Paragraph 197 reveals that the squadron employed local labor: "All Italians employed in the camp (batmen included).". A "batman" was a soldier-servant assigned to a commissioned officer. By this stage of the war, shortages of manpower meant that Commonwealth units often hired reliable locals for these roles, freeing up enlisted men for technical or combat duties.
* Medical Surveillance: The requirement for weekly medical inspections ("10.00 hours on Wednesdays") underscores the rigorous hygiene discipline required to prevent local employees from introducing diseases (typhus, malaria, dysentery) into the camp.
* Camp Life (Lost and Found):
* Personal Effects: The "NOTICES" section offers a glimpse into daily life. Items like a "Torch" (flashlight) were essential in the blackout conditions of a forward airbase. The loss of "1 Pair Glasses" would have been a significant inconvenience in a war zone where replacements were not easily obtained.
* Abbreviations:
* C.R.O.: Command Routine Orders.
* dd.: Dated.
* S.A.A.F.: South African Air Force.
* Ricovero: Italian for "Shelter" (specifically Air Raid Shelter).

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Verification:
Target File Verification: The document is dated 31st May, 1944 in the "Date" field. It is a Sortie Report (No. 699) labeled APPENDIX "BBB" (page number 287), detailing the mission flown on the morning of May 31st, 1944.