No. 214 (Federated Malay States) Squadron
Royal Air Force

Gift shop

The following are a collection of items that are directly or indirectly related to the 214 and would make great gift ideas for the historian, aviator or veteran in your family. Or, be greedy and "indulge yourself" with a good book or proudly show off your connection to the squadron with the various insignia and badges available.

A WORD OF CAUTION - BUYER BEWARE The Squadron site does not sell anything to anyone, neither does it receive any commission of any kind. The items listed for sale here are links and information that have been passed to us by various reputable sources. Note , all the links on this page take you away from this site, to get back here simply keep clicking the back button on your browser.

NOTE: The 214 FMS Squadron Association has numerous squadron related items for sale at reasonable prices. They are without a doubt the safest place to shop and the Association would greatly appreciate the support. Contact Ian Coates, 61 Wharfedale Runcorn Cheshire. WA7 6PS, Telephone 01928 717206

BOOKS, E-BOOKS & MAGAZINES

B-17 - The Fifteen Ton Flying Fortress

Graham Simons and Harry Friedman Price: £19.99 ISBN: 9781848845381, Type: Hardback, Pages: 256

The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress was the first American heavy bomber to see World War action when it was supplied to the RAF in 1941. Laden with abundant armaments, it had a massive and distinctive tail designed to improve its performance during high-altitude bombing, and went on to become one of the most famous and best-loved bombers of World War Two. The design of the B-17 originated in 1934 and included many highly advanced features for the time. Boeing continued to develop the aircraft as experience of the demands of long distance flying at high altitude was gained. When the USA entered World War Two, production of the aircraft was rapidly escalated and the Flying Fortress became the backbone of the USAAF in all theatres of war. This impressively researched book describes how the B-17 was built and utilises many previously unpublished photographs from the design studio and production lines. It illustrates and explains the many different roles that the aircraft took as the war progressed - heavy bomber, reconnaissance, anti-submarine and air-sea rescue operations - there were few tasks that this solid design could not undertake. Although other books exist which chronicle the history of this famous military aircraft, B-17: The Fifteen Ton Flying Fortress offers a fresh new approach that is as illuminating as it is fascinating. Using primary source documentation, it recounts the undoubted achievements alongside the shortcomings of design and operation that have otherwise received scant attention. It also delves into the surrounding murky world of power politics to deliver an intriguing account of all you never knew about the B-17. It will appeal to all with an interest in aviation or military history.
Graham Simons is a highly respected aviation historian and author. He has many contacts within the aviation industry that have resulted in him accessing the previously unpublished photographs shown in this book. American neuro-surgeon Dr Harry Friedman is a past-president of the Memphis Belle Memorial Association and a leading light in B-17 Co-Op, the B-17 aircraft owners and operators organisation.
To use images from the book or for further information, please contact Laura Wilkinson at Pen & Sword Books on Tel: 01226 734267 or via email at publicity@pen-and-sword.co.uk.

Aviation Classic Magazine

Issue 8 - B17

http://www.aviationclassics.co.uk/news/all/all-issues/issue-8-b-17

Flypast Magazine

FlyPast is internationally regarded as THE magazine for aviation history and heritage. Having pioneered coverage of this fascinating world of'living history' since 1980. FlyPast still leads the field today.

http://www.flypast.com

Pathfinder Cranswick by Michael Cumming

Michael Cumming's original work, based on family archives, official records and interviews of those who knew Cranswick, has been extended and updated with new material and previously unpublished photographs. Flying High Publishers presents the 50th anniversary edition of Pathfinder Cranswick as an ongoing tribute to one of the Royal Air Force's most distinguished and accomplished pilots, who flew the most operational missions. 'To look back at a boy-man so simply courageous and so selfless is an inspiration both rare and elevating' - Air Vice-Marshal D.C.T. Bennett, C.B., C.B.E., D.S.O. Squadron Leader Alec Cranswick, D.S.O., D.F.C., was an 'unsung hero', yet he reached a unique position in command of a bomber crew, exceeding 100 operational missions, latterly with Path Finder Force with whom he flew Halifax and Lancaster aircraft to pinpoint major targets as far afield from the P.F.F. bases in Britain as Pilsen in Czechoslovakia, Peenemunde on the Baltic coastline, and Berlin. Carefully-crafted and interwoven with the experiences of other flyers linked to him through the school he attended or the squadrons with whom he flew, Pathfinder Cranswick is a narrative in aviation history that makes compelling reading for succeeding generations.

Available from 15 March 2012
ISBN 9780956269676

Stay the Distance: The Life and Times of Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Michael Beetham by Peter Jacobs

Sir Michael Beetham enjoyed a long and distinguished career in the Royal Air Force. He joined the RAF as a pilot in 1941 and was awarded the DFC whilst serving with Bomber Command during 1943/44. Remaining in the post-war RAF, a number of flying and staff appointments followed. Notably he drafted the first specification for the ill-fated TSR 2 and later joined the V-Force as commanding officer of 214 Squadron at Marham. Beetham then served at the heart of Bomber Command s affairs when the V-Force was at the forefront of the Nation s defences. The most critical moment came with the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. In 1964 he was given command of Khormaksar in Aden, the RAF s biggest overseas station. His arrival coincided with the start of a terrorist campaign against British forces in Aden. More senior appointments followed, notably as Commander 2nd Tactical Air Force and Commander-in-Chief RAF Germany, but the big prize came in 1977 when Beetham was appointed Chief of the Air Staff. In 1982 came the Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands; as acting Chief of the Defence Staff, he was involved in the decision to send the Task Force to battle. After victory in the Falklands, Sir Michael Beetham handed over as CAS and was appointed Marshal of the Royal Air Force.

Sir Michael is currently the President of the 214 Squadron Association

ISBN 978-1848325524
Available from Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stay-Distance-Marshal-Michael-Beetham/dp/1848325525/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1298496828&sr=1-1

Chocks Away; World War II Memoirs and Letters
Wing Commander John Leighton Beck's memoires "Chocks Away" recall his service in 214 Squadron and later 159 Squadron.
ISBN 978-1846830389
The book is available from Woodfield Publishing http://www.woodfieldpublishing.co.uk/contents/en-uk/p235.html
Also available from Amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/Chocks-Away-World-Memoirs-Letters/dp/1846830389/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1298511056&sr=1-2

P.O.W. Wartime Log of F/Sgt. T.D.Glenn
Roz Glenn writes : My father-in-laws (Tom Glenn) POW Diaries are available from the link below. Rod, Toms grandson has published it for the family but so many people expressed an intererst in it that it is stocked through Tesco, Waterstones and Amazon.
ISBN 978 0956373373
http://www.amazon.co.uk/P-O-W-Wartime-Log-Sgt-T-D-Glenn/dp/0956373372/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1284292018&sr=1-2-fkmr2

Sway War Memorial 1914-1945 by Tony Blakeley, John Cockram, Nick Saunders and Richard Williams
See website http://www.natula.co.uk/Book_SwayatWar.htm
You can contact Richard Williams directly at XXXrtwilliams@orange.net (remove the XXX before you send email) The cost is £8 plus £4 p&p

IMMIGRANTS OF WAR - Americans serving with the RAF and RCAF during Word War II by Wally Peter Fydenchuk
Self published by Wally.
You can contact Wally directly at XXXwpf13@hotmail.com (remove the XXX before you send email)

Portrait Of A Bomber Pilot by Christopher Jary

The biography of Flight-Lieutenant Jack Wetherly, DFC, who was killed in action in a raid on Berlin in 1943, during his second tour of operations. The book has been revised and edited with new information.
The son of Peggy and Captain Sydney Jary MC of The Royal Hampshire Regiment; Christopher, and his mother wrote Portrait of a Bomber Pilot.
More than an entertaining good read, the book is also a valuable research tool for those looking for further information on the squadron and a deeper understanding of life in the RAF during WW2. Group Captain Leonard Cheshire VC DSO DFC wrote the Foreword while Ian Lawson, Geoff Cole, Ray Glass, George McKeand, Nigel Walker, Ray Holmes, Don Smith, John Leighton Beck, Mervyn Leyshon and many of Jack's friends and contemporaries breathed life into the book with their vivid memories of those brave, sad times.
ISBN 978-0951207871
Available from Amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/Portrait-Bomber-Pilot-Christopher-Jary/dp/0951207873/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1298510197&sr=1-1

A Thousand Shall Fall : The True Story of a Canadian Bomber Pilot in World War II by Murray Peden

During World War II, Canada trained tens of thousands of airmen under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. Those selected for Bomber Command operations went on to rain devastation upon the Third Reich in the great air battles over Europe, but their losses were high. German fighters and anti-aircraft guns took a terrifying toll. The chances of surviving a tour of duty as a bomber crew were almost nil. Murray Peden's story of his training in Canada and England, and his crew's operations on Stirlings and Flying Fortresses with 214 Squadron, has been hailed as a classic of war literature. It is a fine blend of the excitement, humour, and tragedy of that eventful era.

Murray Peden was the first Chairman of the Manitoba Securities Commission. A bestselling author, his articles have appeared in aviation magazines and newspapers in Canada, England, and the United States. He was a bomber pilot in World War II, and his autobiography has been hailed as one of the finest war memoirs ever written.

Can be ordered from publisher Dundurn Press http://www.dundurn.com/Orders.htm

ESCAPE AND EVASION by Squadron Leader Cyril Penna DFM

The fascinating true story of Sqn Ldr Cyril Penna and his epic journey to freedom after his Stirling bomber was shot down near the French town of Soisson. Many photos and memorabilia .

Even When The Sparrows Are Walking: the Origin and Effect of No 100 (Bomber Support Group) RAF 1943-45 by Laurie Brettingham.

A book about 100 Group which came out recently. Alan Mercer, a 214 veteran has contributed to the book.Also a photo of Sgt's White and Langhorn with 'their' B-17
ISBN 978-0954296001
Available from Amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/Even-When-Sparrows-are-Walking/dp/0954296001/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1298509081&sr=1-1

DVD & VIDEO

Into the Wind DVD

Electric Egg are delighted to announce the release of Into the Wind on DVD. The DVD will be released on November 30th and is available to pre-order from today. The film is initially available in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, but theyare working on making it available in other territories.

The film is an insightful and touching documentary relating the experiences of Second World War aircrew veterans of Bomber Command through their own words and sadly in many cases for the last time.
As well as a document of unique historical value and significance, Into the Wind is a record of deeply personal stories, tales of friendships gained and lost, the perpetual possibility and proximity of death, the importance of love and family, the moral implications of warfare
and their shared love of flying.
Into the Wind features a evocative original score by composer Hugh Cowling, previously unseen archive material and is director, Steven Hatton ’s first feature length documentary. It will be broadcast on UK TV on Yesterday Channel in 2012.
The DVD includes the 72 minute director's cut of Into the Wind, exclusive extras short documentaries and trailers, chapter selection menus and optional subtitles.
Extra features include:
•New Zealand at War: A 22 minute documentary looking at New Zealanders in Bomber Command. This film was made for the opening of the new aviation display hall at the Museum of Transport and Technology in Auckland, New Zealand.
•Ken Wallis. Aviator: A 13 minute documentary portrait of Ken Wallis' career in aviation from his days in Bomber Command to his ground breaking autogyro designs.
•Into the Wind trailer.
•The trailer for Steven Hatton 's new documentary, Heilig.
•A short film in which former Halifax pilot Dick Smith talks through the workings of the aircraft.

The DVD is priced (including postage & packaging) at £14.99 for UK delivery or £18.99 for Australian or New Zealand delivery.

To order please visit their website http://www.intothewind.co.uk/#/dvd/

A one hour video has been produced on the history of RAF Chedburgh mainly covering the period of No.218 Gold Coast Squadron, (Lancasters, December 1944 - July 1945) with special interest in the "then" last complete surviving Lancaster crew of WW2. The producers claim to profile in some detail the other squadrons that were based at Chedborough during the war, which of course includes the 214 FMS Squadron.

Copies are available from :

Ochreon Productions Ltd.

West Bank House, School Street,

Honeybourne Evesham, Wores. WR11 7PL

Tel: +44 (0) 1386 832665

Blazer badges are available for most British regiments and many specialised units and R.A.F. Squadrons. All the blazer badges listed are in bullion wire, although silk versions are available. Military ties are available for most British regiments in silk or in good quality polyester, they are British made. Stripes and/or crests are available depending on the regiment or corps.

27 Post House
Wynd
Darlington
County Durham
DL3 7LP England

Tel. +44 (0) 1325 489820

XXXdiamondmerchants@btopenworld.com (remove the XXX before you send email)