Page Chapter

1 I Early History

11 II 1915 to 1918

17 III Egypt

45 IV Between the Wars

50 V World War 2 starts

65 VI 1941

73 VII Flight to Hamburg

78 VIII Bloody April, 1942

86 IX Enter the Stirling

94 X Chedburgh

101 XI 1943

125 XII Hamburg and after

138 XIII Flying Fortresses

148 XIV Oulton

163 XV Year of Victory

173 XVI Peace

180 XVII Kenya, 1954

183 XVIII V-Force and Suez

205 XIX The Tanker Role

215 Epilogue

217 Bases and Outline History

218 Commanding Officers

219 214 Aircraft & German radar

220 Fortress Electronic Equipment

222 Glossary of terms

226 Decorations and Awards

229 Roll of Honour, 1939-1945

235 Bibliography

236 Sorties, 1939-1945

258 Index of names in this book

Photographs:

29 Major Brackley, C.O. 1917-1918

30 Squadron officers, Coudekerque '18

31 Bill "Tiny" Wardrop fusing bombs

32 Manning the front gun position

33 Sgt Pilot L.A. Dell

34 No 214 Squadron aircrew, 1918

35 Damaged H.P. near Dunkirk, 1918

230 lb bomb being loaded

36 Coudekerque 1917. H P. O/100

Coudekerque. 13 Handley Pages

37 F/Lt Stark-Browne at Abu Sueir, '20

38 Ground crew atAbu Sueir, 1919;

LAC Baldwin

39 Flying view: Pyramids and Sphynx

40 Vickers Virginia Mark X, 193

41 W/Cdr O.C. Bryson, 1937-1938

42 Squadron aircrew, Feltwell, 1937

43 H. P. Harrows, Feltwell, 1937

44 Wireless op and nav in Harrow, '37

109 P/O Lawson;

Sgt Geoff Cole and crew '40

110 Briefing, Stradishall 1940;

"Tubby" Baker and crew

111 Vickers Wellington I, 1940;

Bombaimer in Wimpy,1941

112 Sgt Merryweather in turrett

113 F/Lt Falconer; P/O Esplen; G/Cpt

Pickard, W/Cdr Cruickshanks, 1941

114 Arming bombs at Stradishall;

4,000 pound bomb on Wellington

115 Tiggy Jones; Johnny Ruston;

Ground crew at work on Wellington

116 C.O. W/Cdr Barry Macfadden

Crew of Sri Duroh, 1941

117 Flt Eng. Sgt Harold Bidmead;

Target photo, Rostock 1942

118 C.O. W/Cdr A.H. Smythe

119 F/Lt Youseman and P/O "Dutch"

Holland, Chedburgh

120 Sgt Griggs; damaged Stirling

121 Demise of a Stirling

122 214 Squadron aircrew Aug, 1943

123 Dinghy drill at Chedburgh;

Sgt Johnston RNZAF, crew

124 Waiting take-off for Berlin '43

Berlin after raid of Aug 23, '43

189 F/O George Wright, gunners;

MT driver H. Southgate,Oulton

190 Blickling Hall;

F/Lt Wynne with second crew

191 S/Ldr Bill Day and crew

192 Tours under attack May 7-8, '44

193 Tours before and after attack

194 Squadron aircrew, Oulton, 1944

195 V-2 Rocket launch, Holland;

Fortress on a 'Big Ben' sortie

196 F/Lt George Wright, Adjutant

197 Liberator VIII, Amendola, Italy;

Liberator crew, Amendola

198 Detachment to Kenya in '54

199 Lincolns at Eastleigh, '54;

Bombs ready for loading

200 Detachment to Kenya 1954

201 Phil Goodman, radar mechanic;

"Appointment in London"

202 Sqdn, M.J. Beetham O.C., '57

203 Victor at Marham;

Longest non-stop, May 26, '59

204 Ground crew at Marham, 1976

Final march-past, February, 1977

Preface

No 214 Squadron fulfilled many roles: bombing, training, bomber support through electronic counter-measures, and air-to-air refuelling. Primarily it was a bomber unit; among the first heavy night bomber squadrons of the Royal Air Force. Its origins were naval, formed from No 7A, later No 14 Squadron, Royal Naval Air Service. On April 1, 1918, it was given a 200 prefix and became part of the new arm, the Royal Air Force. In writing this history I have received considerable assistance from former members of the Squadron. It was a source of pleasure to travel around the world and meet old comrades and friends who served with 214, and to hear their tales of squadron life. The bulk of official data has been obtained from records held at the Public Records Office, Kew, and the Air Historical Branch, Ministry of Defence, London. I have also used contemporary writings, papers, and various books as the basis for the history, but my main endeavour was to portray the life and times of the Squadron through the eyes of its members, both ground and aircrew. Gathering the necessary information has proved the most difficult part of my project. Some of my subjects were loath to relate their experiences, believing that they had either no story worth telling, or that they might be accused of shooting a line. However, with cajolery and low cunning, I have managed to assemble this account of 214 Squadron activities, a sample of the recollections. Many remain unpublished. From this pot-pourri of events, I have collated a story, to my knowledge a true one, which I hope will be enjoyed by all those who are interested in the RAF and its units' histories. The organizing, rewriting, and editing, of Flt David Dickson, and his wife Rosaleen, who also laid out the chapters, sorted and arranged the photographs, charts and squadron records, wrote the index, and type-set this entire book, camera ready for the printers, have made it possible for Avenging in the Shadows to be publshed. 214 owes them unqualified gratitude for having taken over the documents and pictures, the notes and letters, and turned them all into one consecutive story of the Squadron. Ron James