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Caterpillar Club Research


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I have a Bombardier group that included the vet's laminated Caterpillar Club card. I researched the bomb runs he participated on and was not able to find records of aircraft he was on going down.

 

Is there a way I could research how and when this vet became a member of the Caterpillar Club, or this is a needle in a haystack?

 

Thanks.

 

---Chris

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These Caterpiller Club cards and pins were issued by the companies that made parachutes upon application from the individual who used them in an emergency situation. Many like Irving, who issued this card, still exist and probably have the information in their archives. Irving is now Irving Aerospace and their website is:

http://www.irvinaerospace.com/aboutus.html

 

When I was researching parachute riggers several years back I contacted the Switlik Parachute Company for some information. The owner wrote me back and indicated that they still had all of the original files with correspondence on their Caterpiller Club. As it happened former president George H. W. Bush used a Switlik parachute when he bailed out in WWII and they still had all of his application info on file.

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HBT,

That's a nice group! It is a little hard for me to clearly see his name from the documents, but I believe it is Wallace Wickander. If so, Wickander flew with the 546th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 384th Bomb Group. The following information is for one of his missions flown during the Battle of the Bulge. His aircraft for this mission was a B-17G aircraft number 43-38548.

 

MISSION SUMMARY

Mission Date 27 December 1944

384th Mission Number 244

8th Air Force Mission Number 764

Primary Target Tactical

Altenahr, Germany

 

 

CREW ROSTER

Position Crewmember Status

Pilot Gilmer, Charles E Completed, Uninjured

Copilot Edwards, Robert A Completed, Uninjured

Navigator Newmann, James H Completed, Uninjured

Bombardier Wickander, Wallace H Completed, Uninjured

Engineer/Top Turret Sainsbury, Joseph A Completed, Uninjured

Radio Operator Allessi, Vincent (NMI) Completed, Uninjured

Ball Turret Anderson, Carl E Completed, Uninjured

Flexible Gunner Drew, John E Completed, Uninjured

Tail Gunner Scarce, Jr, James Richard, Dick Completed, Uninjured

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Thanks for all the help with my search. I have visited the 384th BG site before and it is very informative. Someday, I plan to go through all the pics and see if I can ID my vet in any of the images. My plan is to get nice pics of the full group and write a blog on my site.

 

KASTAUFFER,

Thank you for the aviation link! I will email them and see if they can help me.

 

Best,

 

Chris Hughes

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  • 1 month later...

Here's a pic of my uncle Robert Paulson and his wife Bette. On his uniform jacket you can see his Caterpillar Club pin.

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