Newsletter of the 14 Squadron Association

Mike Napier

THANK YOU, JOE!

Last year's reunion was an opportunity to thank Joe Lowder for his sterling service as Secretary and Treasurer of the Association and to thank him for all his hard work in arranging Annual Reunions for the past twenty-or-so years. President of the Association Air Vice Marshal Deryck Stapleton presented Joe with a magnificent silver salver engraved with the Squadron Crest.

New Committee

Joe's duties are now shared between Mike Napier (Secretary) and Squadron Leader Dougie Potter (Treasurer), while Group Captain Tim Anderson DSO and Warrant Officer Dave Whitewick join Group Captain Dick Maydwell DSO DFC as Vice Presidents. In due course these officers will offer themselves for re-election by the Association members

Tim, Dave, Mike and Dougie have decided to introduce some changes to the Association to broaden its membership and ensure its prosperity into the 21st Century!

Subscription

In particular they have decided to levy an annual subscription of £5 on those members who served with the Squadron after 1980. This has become necessary because the Association is funded by people who attend the Annual Reunions and as numbers attending the reunions has dropped over recent years, but the number of people who receive newsletters has increased, income has reduced just as expenditure has risen! Just to re-iterate, this subscription applies only to those who served on the Squadron after the introduction of the Tornado (1985); if you served before the Tornado your membership is still free! In fact "senior" (pre-1985!) members of the Association should not notice any difference - apart from a slight change in appearance of newsletters - in their membership of the Association under the new arrangements.

2003 REUNION DETAILS!

At the request of our President, Air Vice Marshal Deryck Stapleton, this year's Annual Reunion will be held once again at the Victory Services Club. We will endeavour to keep the cost the same as last year, namely £35. The final details (with confirmed cost) will be circulated later in the year.

 

Calling Older Members!

We hope that this arrangement will encourage as many of the "old" members to attend what will probably be the last reunion held in this venue. With its greatly increased charges, the Victory Services Club no longer provides the value for money that it once did. We are seeking alternative venues which will offer better value for money and perhaps a more appealing ambience; of course we will ensure that the arrangements will take account of the needs of our senior members, in particular those for whom ease of travel is important, and those who would wish to continue to use the Victory services Club for overnight accommodation.

 

"Tornado Bash"

Details to follow of a "Tornado Bash" to be held at a suitable venue (probably in London) towards the end of the year. Hopefully this event will be supported by "Tornado folk" who cannot make it to the main Reunion (but it would be great if you could make it to both!).

 

News from the Squadron

The Squadron is now fully equipped with the Tornado GR4 version, having traded-in the last GR1 "Classic" last summer! They had the delights of a detachment to Kuwait for operations in the Southern No Fly Zone over Iraq from October to January, so they have not been involved as a Squadron in the recent conflict in Iraq. Wing Commander James Klein hands over command of the squadron to Wing Commander Colin Basnett in August this year.

 

Joe's Bit!

Happy New Year everyone, it's your old Joe Soap on the line again with a few words for our new Secretary to send out in his next news letter.

One or two things have kept me busy with the Squadron's historical side since we were the reunion. Peter Dawson, who did the wonderful presentation of Macdonald's B 26 crash at Matero, Spain, has printed another manuscript up dated with all the facts we have both come up with since the first, four years ago. I have circulated to our Vice President and it will then be placed in the Squadron's archives at Lossiemouth. Peter, although not a past serving member of the Squadron, was connected with the family. He did visit the cemetery early on, and he is hoping to visit again soon. Now you all know we have been in close contact with 39 Squadron since we both flew the B 26. I believe they even had our aircraft when we left the Med. They were part of the Balkan air bombing group. They have now regrettably had to cease trying to hold reunions because of the obvious drop in membership: age, infirmities and the passing of chaps now leaves them contact with each other only by new letters. We might have been going the same way now after all these years if it had not been for to the interest shown by the personnel of latter serving members of 14 Squadron. Especially the Commanding Officers who have each in turn been stalwarts in keeping the 'old uns' alive to the serving chaps. We have all so much enjoyed the 'in -touch' atmosphere each yea with you all. I am sure that in the future the pattern will continue.

Although I have now been put on the shelf rest assured I will take down and dust the old typewriter to answer historical queries which I know will always keep coming up. A recent enquiry has been from George Money of 84 Squadron who wished to find out more of F/Sgt. Len Small who served with 14 Sqn early 1942, he might have been on the Sqn earlier. He went to 84 Sqn in Iraq and was killed in March 1942. George Money is try to get the information about Len Small for his sister Miss Eileen Small. So anyone who can recall him let me know.

George Money knew of John Jeudwine, brother of Sgt Harold Jeudwine who was killed in the raid on Crete. John served with Harold then left to join 84 Sqn in the far east. He was taken prisoner in Java and with eleven others he escaped in a ship's lifeboat and set out for Australia - a journey which took 42 days and is recorded as "THE LOG OF THE SCORPION".7 March to 20 April. I have a copy of this daily diary and it is the most interesting of many escape stories. It would produce an excellent yarn for a Channel programme. GROUP CAPTAIN J.R.JEUDWINE OBE DSO DFC WAS KILLED IN OCT 1945 WHEN FLYING A SINGLE-SEATER A/C WHICH SPUN INTO THE GROUND.

I believe George has put an entry in the last edition of AIR MAIL for news of Small. Well chaps that's a few cobwebs brushed away, until next time keep the spirit alive especially those of you who at this moment are away from your loved ones with the job to do what you have been trained for.

For those of you with a copy of Winged Promises, the following verbatim copy of extract from Air War for Yugoslavia, Greece and Crete 1940-41 by Christopher Shores and Brian Cull* gives more details of the raid briefly described on p 145 :

Three 55 squadron Blenheims then attacked, all bombers returning to report only light Flak, and apparently no fighters. Just after midday three further Blenheims set out, again from 14 Squadron, but these did encounter Bf109's of 11/JG 77 on patrol and ready for them over Suda Bay, and within minutes Flt Lt R A Green's T2065 had been shot down into the sea, followed by V5510 (Lt S R E Forrester, SAAF) and Sgt H P Jeudwine's T2003, all nine men aboard perishing. Two of the Blenheims fell to Uffz Rudolph Schmitt of 5 Staffel, the other being shot down by Uffz Herbert Horstmann of 6 Staffel.

* paragraph 1, page 374, Air War for Yugoslavia, Greece and Crete 1940-41 by Christopher Shores and Brian Cull with Nicola Malizia, ISBN 0-948817-07-0. Published by Grub Street, 'The Basement", 10 Chivalry Road? LONDON SW11 1HT.

 

Message from the Secretary:

Information Wanted!!

In order to produce future newsletters I need information. Can you help? I need:

1. Your personal information - please check that your address & details as I have written them are correct - if not please let me know.

2. News, gossip etc of ex-Crusaders for inclusion in newsletters.

3. Stories, photos etc of past times on 14 Sqn - I would like to include a "past times" page in future newsletters. So if you would like to tell us what life on the Squadron was like when it flew Gordons, Wellesleys, Blenheims, Marauders,Wellingtons, Mosquitoes, Vampires, Venoms, Hunters, Canberras, Phantoms, Jaguars (and yes even Tornados!) please would you send me your thoughts. I'd also like lots of photographs with which to illustrate future newsletters.