CATERPILLAR CLUB , GOLDFISH CLUB , SEA SQUATTERS CLUB

[TBMflyer]

Adam, here you go. Like I said, it's from a USMC Corsair pilot who ditched his bird off Babelthaup. Contrary to popular belief, I don't think all goldfish are the same, i.e. English-made. Just as there are many variations of the Caterpillar insignia, I think there are varieties of the goldfish as well. I like them both. Enjoy, Mark

[DZR]

I've seen these small screwback Caterpillar Club pins around, but I can't find anything that dates these. Does anyone know who made them, and when they first appeared? I believe the card it's screwed on is how it originally came.

 

 

Here are a couple of examples of the "order of the winged boot" patch, both from escape & evader groupings. One gentleman flew with the 91st BG, the other with the 94th BG.

 

[lufkincy]

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!!!!!!!!

 

Hi All: I was searching the web to get a little info on the Goldfish badge and ran across this outstanding site. This particular plaque drew my interest. Back in the 1950's and 1960's when I was active in skydiving I made many plaques similar to this for fellow jumpers.Back in my days parachutes were totally different from today so some of the parts may not be familiar. I used a nice walnut plaque and included the ripcord, three cones and grommets, a capewell, a photo, if available or a skydiver patch, and an engraved brass plaque. The D-ring ripcord had pins that went into the cones to keep the container closed. The capewell was part of the harness and was a quick-release for the canopy, if needed.

 

Most of the ones I created were for jumpers who had major malfunctions, but I also did them for various "landmarks" - the 100th jump, first baton pass, first dead center, etc. In the 20 years I jumped I would guess I made around 100 of these. The only catapillar ones I made were for 5 jumpers who were returning to Houston from a parachute meet at the Thunderbird in Las Vegas. The Cessana they were returning in blew a jug and in order for the plane to stay in the air the pilot, Dr. Ed Fitch, had them suit up and jump west of Lubbock, Texas. They had to hitch hike back to Houston and found out that Ed landed safely in Lubbock, left the Cessna there for an overhaul, rented a car and drove back to Houston. They applied with several manufacturers for membership to the Catapillar Club, but all were turned down. They ended up having me make "catapillar" plaques for them and from some other source they had their own special "catapillar" patches made.

 

Cy Stapleton

Lufkin, Texas

[tigerfan]

These are a few insignias from a small group I just aquired that once belonged to George I. Tripp. He was a P-38 pilot with the 485th fighter squadron 9th AAF and shot down over/near Normandy. He was taken care of by a French family and evaded capture for two months.

 

 

Closer look at George Tripps caterpillar club insignia.

 

[MikeK]

This little screwback bird (a ?seagull, unmarked on the reverse) came with a small lot of aircraft engineer items (Pratt & Whitney, Wright Engines, etc). It looks similar to (but not the same as) the Sea Squatters pin design I've read about. Could it be related? Can anybody ID this little badge for me please?

 

Regards

Mike

[Allan H.]

This little screwback bird (a ?seagull, unmarked on the reverse) came with a small lot of aircraft engineer items (Pratt & Whitney, Wright Engines, etc). It looks similar to (but not the same as) the Sea Squatters pin design I've read about. Could it be related? Can anybody ID this little badge for me please?

 

Regards

Mike

 

This is called a "Sea Squaters" pin. They are unbelieveably rare. Also, they are so heavily faked that I don't think I would ever be able to determine whether one was original or not.

Perhaps when Kurt Stauffer gets a look at it, he might be able to verify originality.

 

Allan

[MikeK]

Hi Allan,

 

Thanks for the reply.

 

Some additional microscope pics showing the shear lines (indicating it's genuinely die struck - the question would be when I suppose!) and some close-up of the details. Fyi, the eye is actually recessed and painted/partially filled black.

 

Regards

Mike

 

obverse detail 1;

 

obverse detail 2;

[LuftStalg1]

Sea Squater pin, front

 

I finally got the little ducky pin. Woo Hoo! :w00t: I also got the accompanying 1946 mailer with the generic congratulation letter and listing of all the members up to that point.

 

The micro function on my camera has crapped out on me so I had to scan it instead. I can’t get a good scan of the back but it is marked by A.E. Co. of Attleboro, like other military insignia. Unfortunately there is no name with it just the generic congratulations. According to the booklet in January of 1946 there were over 1200 members of this club so far.

 

Anyone ever see a photo of this pin being worn or a presentation certificate of any kind?

:nerv0003:

 

Sea Squater pin, back

 

Sea Squater pin, marking

[Jack's Son]

S/Sgt. Richard A. Longo, USAAC

 

 

[LuftStalg1]

Sea Squater pin, front

 

I finally got the little ducky pin. Woo Hoo! :w00t: I also got the accompanying 1946 mailer with the generic congratulation letter and listing of all the members up to that point.

 

The micro function on my camera has crapped out on me so I had to scan it instead. I can’t get a good scan of the back but it is marked by A.E. Co. of Attleboro, like other military insignia. Unfortunately there is no name with it just the generic congratulations. According to the booklet in January of 1946 there were over 1200 members of this club so far.

 

Anyone ever see a photo of this pin being worn or a presentation certificate of any kind?

:nerv0003:

 

Should have been looking at this when I was typing. It is not marked Attleboro its marked Utica and also Sterling.

[KASTAUFFER]

I finally have been able to buy a nice example of an English made gold Caterpillar Club pin named to the vet!

 

This pin was issued to a Navigator who served with the 44th Bomb Group , 8th Air Force . His bomber was hit over the target on March 18, 1944 and they made it to Switzerland, bailing out just as the plane exploded. The entire crew became Internees in Switzerland.

 

 

[Gary B]

Hi,

 

Attached is a quick photo of my dad's certificate with the actual rip cord he used to bail out of his A-20. He kept this rip cord with him for 9 days while evading capture and making it back to US lines.

 

I have all of the Caterpillar newsletters published by the Switlick company and one day hope to write an article on these rare pins.

 

 

Here is the back of his A-2 jacket which he wore for almost all of his missions, to include the mission he was shot down on. The 5 large bombs are numbered 10 for each 10 missions he flew (total of 50) and a small bomb with 1/2 on it to represent his "one way" mission.

 

 

The survivors of the shoot down (L to R: my father, LT Dowdell - the bombardier, and newly promoted SSG Schultz). All made it back to US lines. Schultz was promoted from CPL to SSG on his return to US lines. Squadron policy was airman shot down were automatically promoted to SSG since they were required to do less work in a POW camp (they would be supervisors). Upon his return to his squadron CPL Schultz requested, and was granted his promotion to SSG, IAW unit policy.

 

 

The escape map signed by all members of the crew and some additional people who my father's crew linked up with on their way back to US lines. All of these individuals, along with a few German defectors, were taken back to US lines by a large group of Italian partisans.

 

 

Western Union telegram notifying my grandmother that her son was no longer MIA. The initial telegram about him being MIA never made it to the house.

 

Lastly a picture of the front of the A-2 jacket depicting 1st pattern 86th Squadron patch, 47th BG, gunners wings and self-designed 12th AF patch (cant be seen in pictures but the scroll has 86th Sqdrn, 47th BG).

 

3 of these identical A-2 jackets were painted by my father for other gunners. One was cut up by the vet and the back panel (A-20) was placed in a frame with his medals/wings. No idea where the other jacket is, or if it survived.

 

Gary B

[KASTAUFFER]

Here is a Capterpillar Club certificate and a photo of the man wearing the pin. He was a P-51 pilot from the 354th Fighter Group who was shot down Feb. 3, 1944 and spent the rest of the war as a guest of Hitler in Stalag Luft 1 located at Barth Germany.

 

 

 

 

 

[lufkincy]

Very Nice:

 

My mother's cousin (Jack Yarborough) was a WWII fighter pilot stationed in England. They joked about his being a "German ace" because he was shot down six times. Since he bailed out several times and twice into the English Channel, I can only assume that Jack had both the Caterpillar and Goldfish Club pins. The only picture I ever saw of him in uniform he was standing in front of his Mustang.

 

The only person I've ever seen wearing a Caterpillar was a Dr. Gus Agnostitas. Gus was a fellow skydiver and was also in the airborne with 3 combat jump stars on his Master Jump Wings. He used to wear a cap that had his jump wings and Caterpillar pin on it. I'm not sure he was really authorized the caterpillar. A jump plane he was in was shot down and most escaped by jumping into the Channel. I know in my skydiving days I applied for a Caterpillar Pin because several of us had to jump out of a Cessna 190 while returning from a parachute meet. The Cessna blew a jug and all but the pilot had to jump so the pilot could try to safely land it. I was told I was not eligible because the intention originally was to make a jump from the plane. Since Gus' had intended to jump into Belgium, I'm not sure the caterpillar was authentic.

 

Again...great pix.

 

========

Here is a Capterpillar Club certificate and a photo of the man wearing the pin. He was a P-51 pilot from the 354th Fighter Group who was shot down Feb. 3, 1944 and spent the rest of the war as a guest of Hitler in Stalag Luft 1 located at Barth Germany.

 

 

 

[Gary B]

Hi Kurt,

 

Nice items! Unusual to see a pin awarded to an officer. The ones you do see, rarely, are for EMs and NCOs.

 

Gary B

[lufkincy]

Hi Kurt,

 

Nice items! Unusual to see a pin awarded to an officer. The ones you do see, rarely, are for EMs and NCOs.

 

Gary B

Very interesting. I would have thought that the majority would have been awarded to officers, but the fact more were awarded to EMs and NCOs is reasonable since a huge number of bombers were shot down and their crews were comprised of fewer officers than EMs and NCOs.

 

I wonder if Swetlic(sp) and the other parachute manufacturers have records of all of the awards. :thumbsup:

[LuftStalg1]

Here is a Capterpillar Club certificate and a photo of the man wearing the pin. He was a P-51 pilot from the 354th Fighter Group who was shot down Feb. 3, 1944 and spent the rest of the war as a guest of Hitler in Stalag Luft 1 located at Barth Germany.

 

Kurt, I finally looked him up on my list and found a couple of notes on him though you may already have this. He was one of the "Little Wheels" on the group staff as the North 1 Librarian Officer, in Block 11. Middle name is Harding.

 

MarkD

[KASTAUFFER]

Very interesting. I would have thought that the majority would have been awarded to officers, but the fact more were awarded to EMs and NCOs is reasonable since a huge number of bombers were shot down and their crews were comprised of fewer officers than EMs and NCOs.

 

I wonder if Swetlic(sp) and the other parachute manufacturers have records of all of the awards. :thumbsup:

 

 

There were generally more enlisted men than officers on a bomber, so maybe that is why you tend to see more to EM. In my collection, almost all the ones I have are to officers.

 

Kurt

[Allan H.]

Very interesting. I would have thought that the majority would have been awarded to officers, but the fact more were awarded to EMs and NCOs is reasonable since a huge number of bombers were shot down and their crews were comprised of fewer officers than EMs and NCOs.

 

I wonder if Swetlic(sp) and the other parachute manufacturers have records of all of the awards. :thumbsup:

 

Switlik does have records of awards, but they will not provide them to the public. If you want to find out if a certain name received a Caterpillar Club pin, you can contact them, but they will only give you a no, or a yes, with the date of the action that warranted an award. They also cannot tell you how many awards have been made, nor can they give you a breakdown by branch of the armed service, or era of awards (though most will have been from WWII).

 

 

Allan

[tarbridge]

 

I picked up this group today.I have never seen a caterpillar pin quite like this one.

 

 

 

[KASTAUFFER]

I just added a Caterpillar Club card variety I didnt have to my collection. Ive been looking for one for a while. The vet served with the 96th BG, 8th AAF .

[Gregory]

Something for you guys...

 

Source: Aviation, Vol. 42 No. 11, November 1943

[dmar836]

A friend flew P-47s in Italy. Earlier in the war, he was forced to bail from a P-39 over the Mediterranean and has a caterpillar pin to show for it. He said he knew from childhood from cereal boxes and other kids booklets that he needed to hang onto his D-ring to receive the pin so he wrapped it around his belt and kept it safe. Have you guys heard that this was required at any time? His is a Switlik pin.

Dave

[jpstout]

Here is an Caterpillar Club Pin "earned" by a Marine! This belonged to Lt. Van W. Smith who was a member of VMB 413. I had posted this earlier and it was requested I put it in this pinned thread for future reference. If you have any addition information on this particular type of pin, or, if you know of other USMC pilots with one, let me know. Thank you, pat

 

 

Flipside...

 

 

Open...

 

[LuftStalg1]

YANK in the RAF / Caterpillar club & Goldfish club member!

 

Anyone see this one, it was over my budget but I was watching it, WOW! Unfortunatly he pulled it so maybe one of you guys snagged it?

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Orig-WW2-RAF-...=true&rt=nc

 

Here is a “Cut & Paste” right from the auction for when the link is no good.

 

Rare Orig WW2 RAF GOLDFish CLUB Card~Member~Pilot Log Book~Spitfire~Hurricane

 

WWII Lot Lot includes:

THE GOLDFISH CLUB CARD MEMBERSHIP WITH A NOTE ON GOLDFISH LETTERHEAD This is in excellent condition with amazing artwork on the front.

 

PILOT'S CERTIFICATE

 

ROYAL AIR FORCE IDENTITY CARD

 

PILOT LOG BOOK

 

All of these are from the same pilot Glenn Smart. He flew Spitfires, Hurricanes, Master, P-47, P51

The log book explains the day, March 29, 1944 in detail that he became a Goldfish and Caterpillar member. I do not have the Caterpillar card. There are also other certificates pasted in the log book, Certificate of Proficiency, Instrument Flying test. I don't know how detailed these books are but this one seems very detailed. The log book is from Jan 1942 to April 1944

 

Goldfish letter.

 

Goldfish card.