APPENDIX "B" — Orders & Appendices

Document

The National Archives' reference AIR 27/271/5
APPENDIX "B"
238
From : Medical Officer, 21 Squadron. S.A.A.F. C.M.F.
To : P. M. O. M.A.A.F. C.M.F.
Date : 19th June, 1945.
Ref. : Med/21S.
Subj. : MEDICAL HISTORY OF THE WAR : MAY, 1945.
The Squadron moved from Jesi drome between the 31st May and 9th of
June to Rivolto. The move was made in two sections; the Medical section
moved up intact with 50% of the Hygiene section with the Advance party. The
move took two days.
The camp site is North of the Rivolto runway p.p. C 2510 in two
large grass fields both surrounded by trees on two and three sides which afford
some shade throughout the day. A canal runs through the camp and is used for
bathing but not drinking. Drinking water is drawn from the recognised army
water point in Udine.
Messes are made up from E.P.I.P. tents and the cooking is done in
the open for the time being until Nissen huts arrive from Jesi camp site. Two
will be supplied to each Mess for kitchen and store room and bar.
Accommodation is cramped, 6 N.M.C. 6 Air Mechs. and 4 N.C.O's and
far as the N.M.C. and Air Mechs. are concerned.
Some difficulty was encountered with latrines. The ground being
rocky was inclined to fall in after 4 - 5 feet was dug. However pits 9 feet
deep with 44 gallon drums in them are working very well.
Since the cessation of hostilities in Europe the Squadron has been
operating transporting personnel from Udine to Bari. There has also been a
certain amount of practice flying cross country.
D.D.T. was used in kitchens, messes and surrounding stables in Jesi
but unfortunately the Squadron moved before the results could be appreciated
fully.
Very little anti malarial work has been done up here. There is
a shortage of personnel but the chief reason is that all water drains away
quickly after rain, what water there is, is flowing rapidly. No anopheles have
been found breeding.
Sickness has remained low. Three cases of malaria occurred, all
relapses.
CAPT.
S.A.M.C.
MEDICAL OFFICER, 21 SQUADRON. S.A.A.F.
/AD

Transcriber's Notes

Phase 2: Technical Expansion (The "Transcriber's Notes")
Glossary of Terms
* 21 SQUADRON S.A.A.F.: No. 21 Squadron, South African Air Force. In June 1945, this unit had completed its combat role in the Italian Campaign and was engaged in transport and occupational duties in Northern Italy.
* BA-BH (Martin Baltimore): The twin-engine medium bomber utilized by the squadron until late 1943/early 1944, when the unit converted to the Martin Marauder III (B-26) currently in use.
* C.M.F.: Central Mediterranean Force.
* D.D.T.: Dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane. A potent synthetic insecticide used extensively by Allied forces in Italy to combat malaria-carrying mosquitoes and typhus-bearing lice.
* E.P.I.P.: European Private Indian Pattern. A large, durable tent used for messes and administrative offices.
* JESI DROME: Jesi Landing Ground, located near Ancona, Italy; the primary base of operations for No. 21 Squadron from October 1944 until May 1945.
* M.A.A.F.: Mediterranean Allied Air Forces.
* MC/GP: Medium Capacity / General Purpose. While combat ordnance was no longer being used against enemy positions, the logistics of clearing such stores from Jesi remained a priority during the move to Rivolto.
* MET: Meteorological data. The report indicates that recent rains at Rivolto drained quickly, a favorable meteorological factor that inhibited the breeding of Anopheles (malaria-carrying) mosquitoes.
* N.M.C.: Native Military Corps. A non-combatant branch of the South African Army consisting of Black South Africans who provided essential logistical and labor support.
* P.M.O.: Principal Medical Officer.
* RIVOLTO: Rivolto Landing Ground, located near Udine in Northeastern Italy; the new base for the squadron following the cessation of hostilities.
* S.A.M.C.: South African Medical Corps.
Operational Context
Target File 271-5_6 documents the medical and logistical challenges during No. 21 Squadron SAAF's relocation from Jesi to Rivolto (near Udine) between 31st May and 9th June 1945. This movement occurred during the immediate post-hostilities period of the Italian Campaign, following the German surrender in early May.
The strategic importance of this relocation centered on the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) shift toward occupational stability and the repatriation of personnel. Having moved from its long-term base at San Ubaldo (Jesi), the squadron was now positioned in the northeast to facilitate "Air Trooping"—using converted Martin Marauder III aircraft to transport personnel between Udine and Bari.
The Medical Officer's report highlights the primitive conditions of the new camp at Rivolto, where personnel were initially accommodated in "cramped" conditions while awaiting the arrival of Nissen huts from the former site at Jesi. Sanitation was a primary concern; technicians had to adapt to rocky soil conditions by utilizing 44-gallon drums to reinforce deep latrine pits. Despite the move and the lack of comprehensive anti-malarial infrastructure at the new site, the report notes that sickness remained low, with the only malaria cases being relapses from prior infections rather than new contractions. This indicates that the squadron's previous use of D.D.T. at Jesi and the rapid drainage of rainwater at Rivolto effectively mitigated the risk of a new outbreak during this critical transition phase.

7
Phase 1: Verification & Extraction
Identity Check: No specific date is listed in a 'Date' column on this document; however, based on preceding war diary entries in this catalog, the document records findings from an investigation into an incident occurring in May 1945.