CATERPILLAR CLUB , GOLDFISH CLUB , SEA SQUATTERS CLUB

[HelmetguyCT]

New Grouping just picked up. SSgt Peter Seniawsky, a waist gunner on “Big Moose” and “Ruthless” of the 8th Air Force. Was a member of the Caterpillar club, winged boot club, and goldfish club. Evaded capture and his story is been told in “Black Thursday”. The  caterpillar certificate is presented on a wood plaque in 1943

[Goldfish Jason]

Hi All,

I'm new to this (so my apologies if I make any mistakes!). I have viewed thread a number of times so have finally joined. I am a Goldfish Club member (joining via a Royal Navy Sea King (H3) helicopter in 1998, and now write the Club Newsletter and due to my passion for history, am also the Club's archivist with a huge collection (including the Founder (Charles 'Robbie' Robertson's) personal papers). The Goldfish Club is still very much alive today, and still holds an annual reunion - although this year's is still 'wait and see' of course due to COVID - we have held an annual gathering since the Club was rejuvenated in 1952. Up to date info can be found on the Club website. 

I was aware that there were branches of the Club across the globe, and only this week came across one of the Club's committee meeting notes from 1953 which mentioned being approached by the American Goldfish Club (headed up by the then editor of 'Flying Magazine' Max Karant). Sea Squatters was something I was also aware of, but had not seen much apart from the 1946 Muster List (mentioned in one of the earlier posts) and a membership card which I had seen on the internet.

A huge 'thank you' to all of you contributors - it is amazing to see so many fantastic records and photos, and it's incredible that you are all keeping the memory of these Club's - whether for hitting the silk, swimming or in a dinghy - alive.

From a Goldfish Club 'purist' view, I was fascinated to see one of the earlier images of the cloth badge with 3 'bars' beneath. We have just recommissioned the bars for the Club as I had come across many members who had ditched on more than one occasion. These were (and now are) usually seen as singular blue waves, normally added below the original 2 on the badge, to denote each subsequent ditching. I am only aware of a handful of multiple ditchers across the globe, so that photograph showing the uniform with 3 bars (albeit not the traditional blue wavy ones) is very rare indeed.

Likewise, the post this February of the Goldfish pin - whilst the Club do still produce pins, never have I seen one like the photograph - very jealous indeed.

The American Goldfish Club and Sea Squatters are areas where I would really like to find out more if I can, which in turn I can pass on to our members via the Newsletter which I write 3 times a year. If any of you have any info on either then I would really appreciate hearing from you - do they even still exist? Who ran them last? Getting hold of original membership cards or pins is likely to be near on impossible from the UK - although eBay does have a few every now and again, albeit reproductions, but even these are great for our own heritage collection. Whilst I appreciate that you are looking for such things yourselves, any tips as to where I might start looking (particularly Stateside websites perhaps) would be a great help.

Pleasure to join you all, I look forward to reading more and contributing more to you all if I can. If any of you have questions about the Goldfish Club then please don't hesitate to ask me in a post - nothing is too much trouble. I hope I haven't rambled too much. Thank you!

 

[Salvage Sailor]

Aloha Jason and Welcome Aboard,

You've come to the right place to find the Goldfish memorabilia and historical records you seek, plus much more associated with the caterpillars, sea squatters, etc.

My service was at the end of the rainbow, recovering the wrecks for inquiries as to why a pilot believed he was flying a seaplane.....

 

[KASTAUFFER]

I thought I would add this pin to the discussion since it is related. 

 

The Sikorsky helicopter company created the "Winged S " Air Rescue Emblem to recognize both the rescuer and the rescued.  It was awarded to Helicopter crews who rescuded a downed pilot, and also to those who were rescued by a Sikorsky helicopter.

 

This certificate was awarded to a Naval Aviator in 1963 for a rescue he performed.  The Pin shown, was awarded to a different Naval Aviator who was rescued from the water during the Korean War. The pins are very small and are 10K gold and are screwback.

 

The pin and certificate are still awarded today. 

 

 

 

[KASTAUFFER]

Switlik pin, certificate, and letter to a 381st BG , 8th AAF POW shot down April 11, 1944.

 

[KASTAUFFER]

Early Irvin card Stalag  to a 306th Bomb Group , 8th AAF pilot captured 6/22/43 and held in Stalag Luft 3.

 

 

[KASTAUFFER]

I am still seeing a TON of fake Caterpillar Club pins on Ebay and being sold on other venues.  Caveat Emptor.

 

Kurt

[JDK]

On 6/7/2022 at 12:13 PM, KASTAUFFER said:

I am still seeing a TON of fake Caterpillar Club pins on Ebay and being sold on other venues.  Caveat Emptor.

 

Kurt

Indeed! As they say, the devil is in the details

[chief4af]

I thought I would share my little collection. The first 3 items are from the estate of TSGT Eddie Deerfield, a B-17 Radio Operator/Gunner with the 303rd Bomb Group.  

[KASTAUFFER]

Here is something I have never seen before. I just reunited a group, and in each portion of the group was a different Caterpillar Club card from Irvin. I have never seen two cards to the same vet before. James “ Red” Johnson was a B-17 pilot with the 306th BG shot down June 22, 1943.
 

 

[LuftStalg1]

6 hours ago, KASTAUFFER said:

Here is something I have never seen before. I just reunited a group, and in each portion of the group was a different Caterpillar Club card from Irvin. I have never seen two cards to the same vet before. James “ Red” Johnson was a B-17 pilot with the 306th BG shot down June 22, 1943.

Kurt, could one be a replacement for the other (say if he lost it) or did they do that?

Mark

[KASTAUFFER]

32 minutes ago, LuftStalg1 said:

Kurt, could one be a replacement for the other (say if he lost it) or did they do that?

Mark

One of them is a fairly early card, the other from later in the war. Since he was a POW, I’m just wondering if one card was sent to the camp, which many were, and the other sent home.

[Noelle]

I wonder if anyone can help me find some info.  WASP Elizabeth Gardner was a two-time Caterpillar Club member, according to these on August 8, 1945, and then December 13, 1945.  The Wiki, and every site that copies it, claims that she had two flights in December 1945 that required bail-outs, yet I can only find reference to one for that month. This Life article is about her December 13, 1945 jump.  (Gotta love how they make sure to call her a girl pilot, as if we can’t just be pilots, and they have to make sure to mention that she’s pretty before literally anything else about her.)

 

Now, being that that article was in January 1946, surely if there were two that month, both would be mentioned.  So I think that the claim that there were two in December 1945 is just flat out wrote, and that it should be two in the year 1945.  But I can’t find any reference to the August 8 jump.  Can anyone please help with this?

 

 

.

[P-59A]

Contact the library for that town or county and ask them to dig down. I read that the companies that made the parachutes keep records also.

[KASTAUFFER]

The AAF did have accident reports. I would think that was those accidents should be in there somewhere.
 

Kurt

[Noelle]

11 hours ago, P-59A said:

Contact the library for that town or county and ask them to dig down. I read that the companies that made the parachutes keep records also.

 

I didn’t have any luck with either of those two. 😔

[P-59A]

7 hours ago, Noelle said:

 

I didn’t have any luck with either of those two. 😔

https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=5c4edc6b14712c1cJmltdHM9MTY5MzM1MzYwMCZpZ3VpZD0zOGUxMzRjNy1lNWMzLTYwZDgtMzI2OS0yN2JlZTQzODYxZDcmaW5zaWQ9NTIzMQ&ptn=3&hsh=3&fclid=38e134c7-e5c3-60d8-3269-27bee43861d7&psq=catipillar+club+research&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudXNtaWxpdGFyaWFmb3J1bS5jb20vZm9ydW1zL2luZGV4LnBocD8vdG9waWMvMjMyOTYtY2F0ZXJwaWxsYXItY2x1Yi1yZXNlYXJjaC8&ntb=1

[P-59A]

6 minutes ago, P-59A said:

https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=5c4edc6b14712c1cJmltdHM9MTY5MzM1MzYwMCZpZ3VpZD0zOGUxMzRjNy1lNWMzLTYwZDgtMzI2OS0yN2JlZTQzODYxZDcmaW5zaWQ9NTIzMQ&ptn=3&hsh=3&fclid=38e134c7-e5c3-60d8-3269-27bee43861d7&psq=catipillar+club+research&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudXNtaWxpdGFyaWFmb3J1bS5jb20vZm9ydW1zL2luZGV4LnBocD8vdG9waWMvMjMyOTYtY2F0ZXJwaWxsYXItY2x1Yi1yZXNlYXJjaC8&ntb=1

https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=df81c95c8501f38aJmltdHM9MTY5MzM1MzYwMCZpZ3VpZD0zOGUxMzRjNy1lNWMzLTYwZDgtMzI2OS0yN2JlZTQzODYxZDcmaW5zaWQ9NTMzMQ&ptn=3&hsh=3&fclid=38e134c7-e5c3-60d8-3269-27bee43861d7&psq=catipillar+club+research&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYXRsYXNvYnNjdXJhLmNvbS9hcnRpY2xlcy9qb2luaW5nLXRoZS1jYXRlcnBpbGxhci1jbHViLWlzLWFzLWVhc3ktYXMtZXNjYXBpbmctYS1maWVyeS1wbGFuZQ&ntb=1

[WarRelics]

A question I have is would military pilots who ejected from their jet aircraft be eligible for caterpillar club membership? I am aware that the club still exists and modern badges are issued to this day. I imagine that they would be eligible but I don’t want to assume.

[WarRelics]

I saw this when I was doing some research on Caterpillar Club pins and I found this that I thought I would share with the group. It speaks for itself but it contradicts that these pins are exclusively a post war. The originator of the listing stated it was an original wartime piece and from the estate of a veteran. I saw the older post in this thread by an experienced longtime collector that attributed them to being post war which I think is correct based on his expertise. Support for that I have found is that another of these screw back pins that I saw online was awarded well after WWII for a bailout during the war which made sense to me. There are probably more out there that were awarded post war for wartime actions sitting around. Any and all input is appreciated here. 
 

[manayunkman]

On 5/10/2007 at 11:48 PM, KASTAUFFER said:

This is the last item I have. It is very unusual and I do not know its background, however I have seen a few more of these.

 

It is an aluminum plaque with a parachute D-ring named to a 15th AAF crewman who had to bail out and was a POW. Notice the time and place are noted on the tag.

 

I have seen tags like the one attached this item on WWII equipment and on the inside of WWII submarines , so it may be from the 40's or 50's .

 

 

 

If you have any items in your collections.. please post em here!!!!!!!!

Ive seen a similar one 

with a wood shield, a cut out metal jumper and rip cord.

 

It belonged to Jack Murphy of Hummelstown, Pa, shot down over Germany.

 

 

[WarRelics]

I purchased this pin the other day and it finally came in the mail. I’m wondering what those of you who are long time collectors of Caterpillar Club pins think. The seller was not a militaria dealer. I took an educated gamble on it. Hopefully it has paid off! Thanks in advance for your input here.

 

[LuftStalg1]

I have always looked at this style as more modern but real.  I use the word "modern" as post WW2.   LOL    Don't have any myself.

[WarRelics]

Thanks. I think that I got a deal on them. I thought $21 bucks was cheap but I could be wrong! I knew they were post war and still awarded today but I read that some were awarded after the war for bailouts during WWII. They are definitely interesting pieces.

[KASTAUFFER]

Caterpillar Club card and Stalag Luft III dogtag issued to a 91st BG pilot captured June 21, 1944. Matching number on a piece of his mail.