Willyslancs Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 can anyone tell me about this please ?my partner found it in a bag of jewellery.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 Appears to have been a presentation pin to those whose life had been saved by an Irvin parachute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruxy Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 Seems strange - the Caterpillar Club has a different style award badge , possibly something to do with trained chute packers - no failures ,, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MatchFuzee Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 A promotional badge for Irwin Parachutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baz48 Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 the caterpillar club I believe was was for those who had bailed out over occupied country and returned Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DFC1943Fl.Lt. Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 Baz is correct, the caterpillar club was for bailing out and surviving with the Irvin chute. I have a gold caterpillar badge and the I.D. card that went with it to a Fl. Sgt. Adams. dated 1943. The badge is actually that of a silk worm with ruby eyes and the name of the airman on the reverse. It was not an official award and most airmen wore them under the lapel of their SD tunics. They are faked and some have green eyes, meaning being ditched in the sea and the red eyes from a burning aircraft but that is all tosh. The original ones are made of gold and have ruby eyes and you would have to have survived the bailout using the Irvin chute, nothing to do with the aircraft on fire and also it would be down to the individual to asked for the badge and become a member of the club. As for the badge in question at the beginning of the thread, I've got two. One is in the blue colour as shown and I also have one the same but in red. I have always thought they were just an award for some sort of service within the Irvin factory. Would like to know if they were actually awarded for anything. They are not made of any sort of precious metal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted July 22, 2017 Share Posted July 22, 2017 A number of companies during both World wars issued staff with such badges/ buttons so that they could show they were doing an essential war job. This was to avoid jibes that the person was skiving and not doing there bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agripper Posted July 29, 2018 Share Posted July 29, 2018 My mother and her friend where both presented with one each after the parachutes they packed where used successfully by there crew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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