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A Caterpillar Club pin is a tiny but significant pin awarded to members of an exclusive group. The Irvin parachute company awards them to those people whose lives have been saved by one of their parachutes. Members receive a membership card and a distinctive pin. The gold caterpillar brooch has red (sometimes garnet, other times enamel) eyes. Raised gold stripes are lined along the body of the pin just like on the body of a caterpillar. Engraved with the owner’s name and rank, these pins (or brooches) serve as tangible symbols of the thrilling tales behind their acquisition.
Sgt Bernard John Warren
When a little gold caterpillar arrived at Fellows Auctioneers HQ in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, our specialists knew straight away what it was. It has been an honour to offer for sale 6 of these little gold pieces of aviation history since 2017. Our previous encounters with these pieces mean that when we see a new one coming into our auctions, we know exactly what to do to start uncovering the stories that these small tokens symbolise.
Our jumping-off point is always the inscription on the pack of the brooch. In this case, it read Sgt. B J Warren. After much searching through military records and censuses, we found him. This particular pin belonged to one Bernard John Warren. Once we put a name to the pin, we were able to uncover how he came by this little caterpillar, a story taking us back to the 1940s.
Warren started his military service 3 years into the Second World War. He enlisted in the Royal Air Force in late 1942. He went on to join the 103 Squadron at Elsham Wolds on February 24, 1944.
103 Squadron was a Royal Air Force bomber squadron during World War I, World War II, the Cold War and beyond. During the Second World War, the Squadron reformed in August 1936. From October 1942 to November 1945 the squadron flew Avro Lancaster bombers Mks.I & III.
The crew to which Warren belonged flew successful missions aboard their Lancaster MK III bomber. In April 1944, Warren served as a rear gunner onboard the Lancaster ME741 alongside his colleagues:
- Flt Sgt Walter MEADOWS
- Flt Sgt Douglas Theodore MITCHELL
- Sgt Bernard John WARREN
- Sgt Thomas William WETTON
- Fg Off James William BIRCHALL
- Sgt David John HILL
- Sgt James HILL
Posted in Monies, Medals & Militaria, News
Tagged caterpillar club brooch, caterpillarclub, militaria, RAF, RAF brooch, second world war, secondworldwar, The Caterpillar Club, WWII
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Caterpillar Club brooches – insignia of the club that no one wants to join.
Caterpillar Club History
It is hard to find a fully corroborated account of who founded this mysterious club. The basis remains the same. After hearing about a test pilot who was saved by his parachute during a failed test in 1922, an idea was formed. Maurice Hutton and Verne Timmerman (reporter and photographer for the Dayton Herald) and H. H. St. Clair ( a parachute engineer for the USA government) founded the club to recognise those airmen who had been saved by parachutes. While some reports say that Leslie Irvin of Irvin Air Chutes was involved from the beginning, there is little documentation about how the club came to be. To this day, it doesn’t have any official website, officers, or chapters.
What we do know is that in 1926, the Irvin Air Chute Co. (now known as IrvinGQ) started issuing membership cards and golden caterpillar pins to those who had used their parachutes to escape from a disabled aircraft.
Over the years, there have been three Caterpillar Clubs from different parachute companies- Irvin, Switlik and Pioneer. Of these three, only the Irvin and Switlik clubs remain.
Club Membership
IrvinGQ has reported that by 1939, membership of the Caterpillar Club had risen to 4,000 and included people from all over the world. This number increased at an extreme rate during the Second World War. The company now estimates that the lives of at least 100,000 people have been saved by an Irvin parachute.
Interestingly, other clubs of this nature popped up during WWII. The Late Arrivals Club awarded its members a pin showing a boot with wings. This was to pay homage to the servicemen who bailed out of an aircraft behind enemy lines and walked back to safety. The Goldfish Club commemorated people who parachuted out over the water and relied on a dinghy for survival. It took inspiration from the Caterpillar Club and had as its sponsor P B Cow and Company of Farnborough who manufactured rubber aircraft survival dinghies, as well as other manufacturers of rescue dinghies. The Australian War Memorial website gives a lot more information on these clubs, as well as others.
A History of The Caterpillar Club
Caterpillar Club Brooches
How to Join the Club
A Caterpillar Club brooch (or pin) is literally a badge of honour for pilots who have been in the precarious situation of their aircraft going down. It is a testament to the aviator’s bravery and quick thinking during a dangerous situation. The Irvin website says that the only requirement to join is to have saved one’s life by an Irvin (IrvinGQ) parachute from a stricken aircraft. The club allows applications from both civilian and military personnel may apply. The exception here is that anyone who intentionally jumps from an aircraft may not apply. e.g. skydivers or parachutists. Anyone who does apply to become a member will need to give supporting evidence which Irwin will then verify.
Irvin does not charge for the membership application, nor for the gold brooches.
Design
The Caterpillar Club brooches, also known as pins, are distinctive pieces of jewellery which immediately identify the wearer as belonging to this rare and mysterious club. Unsurprisingly, those who have earned them, value them highly.
The IrvinGQ Caterpillar Club pins are gold in colour with red eyes. Reports vary as to the materials used in the production of this iconic pin. At Fellows, we have seen brooches with bodies made from solid gold or gilt; with eyes made from garnets or red enamel. We have found historic newspaper reports which mention eyes made from amethysts. However, we have never seen any such items through our auctions.
The caterpillar brooch is three-dimensional with ridges along the back. It is styled to depict the insect’s natural form. The design makes the viewer think of the movement of the animal and is quite realistic. To the reverse of the brooch, you will find an inscription of the recipient’s name, and sometimes rank where appropriate. The pin itself is extremely small, which makes the level of detail even more impressive. It is less than 2cm long and weighs less than 1g.
The Switlik Parachute Company has its own design. The silver brooches feature black enamel in the design of a caterpillar. In the black enamel, you can read the words “CATERPILLAR CLUB” in white relief on the front. This design does not tend to have inscriptions on the reverse.
While there have been a few different designs and issuers of these types of pins over the years, The Irvin Caterpillar Club brooches are by far the most prevalent.
The Mystery of Two Caterpillar Club Brooches
In an auction in May 2023, we have for sale a pretty intriguing lot. This lot features two Caterpillar Club brooches, both awarded to the same man. One brooch is solid gold with red garnets for eyes; the other is base metal with red enamelled eyes. You can find out about Flight Officer Stead’s amazing story on our blog.
The mystery of this lot is: why did one person have two brooches?
Theory one:
He was in the unenviable position of needing to be saved by a parachute twice.
We can disregard this theory on two counts. Firstly, there is no mention of any other incident where Stead was involved in a life-saving parachute incident. Secondly, we have spoken to historians and Irvin themselves who have said that once a member has been inducted into the club, they do not receive another pin.
Theory two:
Stead lost his brooch and the second one is a replacement.
When we spoke to Irvin, they did not have any record of a replacement being requested or issued. Their records are very detailed.
Theory three:
The base metal brooch was for everyday wear; the gold one was for formal occasions and mess dress.
We can’t find any supporting documentation for this theory or for RAF officers being given leave to adorn their uniforms with Caterpillar Club brooches.
Theory four:
Gold brooches were not awarded at the time.
This is the theory that holds the most water at Fellows HQ, for a number of reasons.
Firstly, due to the supply and manufacturing issues of the Second World War, the production of non-essential jewellery was prohibited during the 1940s. This gave rise to the introduction of the utility mark on wedding rings in the 1940s. Given the fact that these brooches were not essential items like wedding rings or even identification bracelets and cufflinks, they would not have been able to be produced under license in the UK.
We know this was a consideration for people applying to join the club from this clipping from a 1944 memo from the records of the 96th Bomb Group (US Army Air Corps) which specifically singles out the situation in the UK.
Fold3 – Reel B0191 Unit History 1944
We also have to take into account that, although the event that would have allowed Stead to become a member of the club took place in 1943, he was a prisoner of war until 1945. While it is possible that he could have applied for and received the brooch while in prison (see the example of Rolex sending watches to prisoners during WWII), a piece of gold jewellery may not have made it to him there.
While we may never know why this particular person had two brooches, it is fascinating to speculate and dig into the history of such a prestigious group of people. If you have any information or different theories, please send us an email to hello@fellows.co.uk
Caterpillar Club Brooches at Auction
We have had the privilege of selling a few Caterpillar Club brooches over the years. Why not take a look at some of the stories associated with these pieces of history?
A 9ct gold Irvin Caterpillar club pin awarded to Sgt Bernard John Warren 1851650, 103 sqn. On 23rd April 1944 from Elsham Wolds he was aboard a Lancaster III. They were hit by flak and Warren baled out of the aircraft using a parachute. He was taken prisoner at Stalag 357 Kopernikus. Read more.
Sold for £1,170.00 (including fees) April 2024.
Awarded to Flight Sargent Stanley Cranston Alldis, 57 Sqdn, while he was a bomb aimer aboard an Avro Lancaster Mk 1 11th November 1944. He was taken prison and held at Stalag Luft L7 Bankau.
Sold for £1,365 (including fees) January 2024.
Awarded to P/O C E Stead during an incident with a Lancaster Bomber on 3rd/4th of November 1943.
Sold for £2795 (including fees) in May 2023.
Awarded to Sgt. W. H. T. Farmer of the RAF due to an incident involving a Spitfire on 23rd July 1942. Sold for £2,169.20 (including fees) May 2022.
Awarded to Sgt Frederick Gordon Spanner of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). He received several medals during his career including the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Sold for £1,173.92 (including fees) April 2019.
Awarded to Sgt. M. Skubiszewski.
Sold for £1,531.20 (including fees) in November 2017.
Valuations
Our valuations are free, with no obligation to sell with us. Our experts will value your item with an estimate, so you can find out what it could achieve at auction.
The process is simple. You can fill in a form online or book an appointment to visit either of our offices in Birmingham or London. Virtual valuation appointments are also available.
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Alexandra Whittaker BA (Hons) | Head of Partnerships and Events
Posted in Antiques, Jewellery, Monies, Medals & Militaria
Tagged caterpillarclub, medal, medals, RAF, second world war, The Caterpillar Club, WWI, WWII
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Movado Watch Company History
We can trace the early history of the Movado Watch Company to 1881 and the famous Swiss watch-making town of La Chaux-de-Fonds. When it was first founded by Achille Dittesheim it was just a small workshop. Together with his brothers Leopold and Isidore they expanded and moved into a modern 20th century factory. By 1905 the company was employing 150 workers and was producing high-quality pocket watches, at that point the company was just called Movado (from the Esperanto word ‘always in motion’). In the modern era, the company is probably most famous for the Bauhaus-inspired Museum Watch designed by American designer Nathan George Horwitt in 1947.
Movado only produced two types of wristwatches for the military during WWII: the ‘Weems’ pilots watch and the 6B159 pilots and navigators standard issue wristwatch.
6B159 ‘Family’
When collectors talk about RAF-issued 6B159 watches we normally think of Omega and Longines versions and perhaps their ‘Weems’ versions that need no introduction. Many of these aviator watches were worn during The Battle of Britain. All manufacturers produced to the same RAF specification with white non-luminous dials, black Arabic numerals, centre seconds and blued steel non-luminous hands. These watches are collector’s pieces for sure but in our industry, you do see a fair few. However, we seldom see the Movado version. In my 15 years of researching and collecting watches I have seen many Omega and Longines examples, but when this Movado turned up at our office I got quite excited. The truth is I have never seen one before.
Movado Watches at Auction
In our November Luxury Watch Sale, one such watch was featured. In my opinion, this is a good, honest example of a rare watch. Interestingly the RAF ‘downgraded’ Movado from 6B159 (Pilots and navigators type) to 234 (standard issue ground and airborn crew wristwatch). Reasons for the downgrade are not known but perhaps some examples did not perform as they should during operations. The downgrading meant case backs of these watches were re-engraved and the watches were re-issued.
Our research suggests the majority of the already very limited production was reissued. The few examples known to the market all have 6B159 crossed off and 234 added. The fact that this watch has not been re-engraved makes it even rarer. The Watch has the original unrestored dial, original blued steel hands and of course the original case (don’t forget many 6B159s we re-cased post-war). The watch features a 15 jewel movement, calibre 75, signed Movado Swiss Made and a stainless steel case back. The case back is stamped 6B159 9215/42 (Made in 1942).
In conclusion, colletors will always want original untouched examples of rare military watches and this one certainly does it for me.
Lot 269
Movado – a military issue wrist watch, 33mm.
Price Realised: £1,170.00
Valuations
Our valuations are free, with no obligation to sell with us. Our experts will value your item with an estimate, so you can find out what it could achieve at auction.
The process is simple. You can fill in a form online or book an appointment to visit either of our offices in Birmingham or London. Virtual valuation appointments are also available.
Find what you’re looking for
Make sure you don’t miss finding that special something by signing up to our email alerts. You’ll be the first to know when catalogues become available, receive invitations to special events and preview the hottest lots from our auctions, plus much more.
Why not use our free personal shopping service? Sign up for lot alerts and tell us exactly what you are looking for. Each time we upload a catalogue, we search for your keywords and email you lots matching your interests. Your personalised email will include images, lot descriptions and auction details.
Richard Griza | Watch Specialist
Posted in Watches
Tagged antiques, auction, auctioneers, auctions, Birmingham, dirty dozen, dirtydozen, Fellows, fellowsauctioneers, Jewellery, military watch, military watches, movado, movado watch, RAF, RAf watch, watch, watches, ww2, ww2 watch, WWII, wwii watch
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In the Monies, Medals and Militaria auction in May, we sold an extremely special lot. Lot 594 is a pair of Caterpillar Club brooches, which were awarded to the same person. These two Caterpillar Club badges are engraved with the name C. E. Stead, who we believe to be Charles Edward Stead.
In 1919, Charles Edward Stead was born in Nottingham. Before joining the RAF, he worked as a lorry driver. He married his wife Cora at age 21, and together they had one child. As with many people in the military – his career was marked with challenges and feats of heroism. The story of how he became a member of the club that no one wants to join is one of particular interest.
Becoming a Member of The Caterpillar Club
Stead was a member of the crew onboard the Lancaster JB121, on a mission to bomb Dusseldorf. The flight took off at 17:03 on the 3rd/4th of November 1943. At 19:00 they crossed the enemy coast, and by 19:13 the aircraft was attacked. While we have no first-hand account from Stead himself, the aircraft engineer, we do have one from Sgt Ronald Morley – the radio operator.
In his report, Morley states that as he was adjusting his radio, he felt a ‘tremendous explosion’, the plane shook and shrapnel broke through the floor. Another man onboard – the navigator, Sgt Kenneth Garvey – would recount that ‘balls of fire’ broke through the hull, lighting his clothes on fire and burning his hands. It was at this point that the aircraft’s pilot – Sqn/Ldr William James Lewis, orders his crew to jump. They jump from the plane which is now heading quickly towards the ground, and deploy their parachutes. Sadly, only four of the men onboard survived the attack.
Garvey and Morley were able to successfully escape. Although they were separated, their paths back to England were surprisingly similar. Both men were assisted by local people and managed to make their way home through the Pyrenees; Morley passed through the region on the 4th of December, and Garvey on the 21st. Both men returned to London in early January 1944. Their stories are marked by human companionship and empathy. If it was not for the local people in Spain and France who assisted them by burying their parachutes and uniforms, dressing them as civilians and giving them a bed, it is unlikely they would have survived.
Charles Edward Stead – Prisoner of War
Stead’s story is different, however. His is defined by the enduring nature of the human spirit. While he also successfully deployed his parachute – the act that earned him his place in the Caterpillar Club – he was captured by German forces. From then, he was taken as a prisoner of war, along with the co-pilot – John William Evans.
While he was a POW, he was interned at Stalag IV-B. It was one of the largest POW camps also known as Stammlager – ‘Main Camp’. This was the same camp where the American writer Kurt Vonnegut was kept as a prisoner of war. It inspired his later novel ‘Slaughterhouse-Five’. Stead remained there until the 23rd of April 1945. This was when the camp was liberated by the Red Army. The Nottingham Post published a segment on June 1st of the same year, reporting that Stead had arrived home from the camp. The report also tells that he received an Air Crew Europe Star Medal. He lived to the age of 67.
The crew of the Lancaster JB121 endured the unthinkable, and Stead’s story is particularly compelling. These Caterpillar Club pins are stunning examples of militaria, and the club’s motto; ‘life depends on a silken thread’, seems especially pertinent to the story of Charles Edward Stead and his fellow crew members.
Charles Edward Stead’s Caterpillar Club Brooches at Auction
Lot 594 – 24/05/23
Two WWII ‘Caterpillar Club’ badges, engraved ‘P/O. C E Stead’, one gold. (2)
Price Realised: £2,795.00
Valuations
Our valuations are free, with no obligation to sell with us. Our experts will value your item with an estimate, so you can find out what it could achieve at auction.
The process is simple. You can fill in a form online or book an appointment to visit either of our offices in Birmingham or London. Virtual valuation appointments are also available.
Find what you’re looking for
Make sure you don’t miss finding that special something by signing up to our email alerts. You’ll be the first to know when catalogues become available, receive invitations to special events and preview the hottest lots from our auctions, plus much more.
Why not use our free personal shopping service? Sign up for lot alerts and tell us exactly what you are looking for. Each time we upload a catalogue, we search for your keywords and email you lots matching your interests. Your personalised email will include images, lot descriptions and auction details.
Cordelia Porter | Research Coordinator
Posted in Antiques, Jewellery
Tagged Lancaster Bomber, pow, RAF, The Caterpillar Club, WWII
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A limited edition watch created to commemorate the centenary of the Royal Air Force is set to fly at auction. The incredible timepiece, which was built using elements of the RAF planes which flew in both World Wars, is number 164 of just 275 ever made. The Bremont 1918 watch has an estimate of £4,500 – £5,500 at Fellows Auctioneers. Featuring as Lot 20, the item is due to go under the hammer in the Luxury Watch Sale, a live behind-closed-doors auction taking place in Birmingham on Monday 15th February.
Lot 20 in the Luxury Watch Sale
The chronograph watch was designed during a limited edition run in 2018, 100 years after the formation of the RAF. The phenomenal exhibition case back showcases elements of the watch which were designed using parts from British military aircrafts. Specifically, components of a Bristol Blenheim, a Supermarine Spitfire and a Hawker Hurricane that all flew during the summer of 1940 were combined in the creation of this watch. Materials sourced from these aircrafts were used to create propeller blades in the rotor of the watch. At the centre of the item, there is also a veneer of original wood from the Shuttleworth Collection’s 1917 SE5a (a WWI British biplane fighter aircraft).
Bremont, a British watchmaker founded in 2002, has become renowned in the 21st century for creating limited edition timepieces for the purpose of the armed forces. The 1918 RAF watch is one of Bremont’s classic examples. The timepiece for sale at Fellows includes a stainless-steel case and a signed automatic calibre BE-16AE with a quick date set. The watch has a silvered dial with Arabic numeral hour markers, subsidiary recorder dials to three and nine, an AM/PM indicator to six, and a date aperture between four and five. An outer GMT track and a telemeter scale is eloquently incorporated onto the timepiece. Fitted to a signed black alligator strap with stainless steel pin buckle, a box with papers is included with the purchase.
The Bremont has an estimate of £4,500 – £5,500
Steven Yambo, Senior Watch Specialist at Fellows Auctioneers, said: “The 1918 Bremont watch is the perfect example of a modern timepiece which expertly captures the essence of British aircrafts. The watch is incredibly elegant to look at, and the exhibition case conveying the parts inside the watch adds to the beauty of the piece. The watch features in our first auction of watches in 2021, alongside over 250 desirable lots. The auction will take place on 15th February, and there’s an abundance of superb timepieces going under the hammer.”
The Luxury Watch Sale is Fellows Auctioneers’ flagship watch auction. The live sale will be held behind closed doors, where customers can bid via the internet or the telephone. Fellows Auctioneers is offering free shipping on all items purchased in this sale, and the company’s own internet bidding platform, Fellows Live, alongside The Saleroom can be used to bid on the sale. Commission bids can be placed now by visiting Fellows’ website.
Posted in All, News, Watches
Tagged anniversary, auction, bremont, bremontwatch, planes, RAF, watches
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By Natasha Davis, Watch Specialist at Fellows Auctioneers.
It’s not often at Fellows that we’ll pick up a watch and get so excited about the back of the piece, but this Limited Edition Bremont 1918 chronograph is the exception.
With only 275 stainless steel pieces created in 2018 by the British owned aviation-themed brand, this ‘1918’ was released to commemorate the Royal Air Force’s centenary. Taking a closer look at the rotor through the sapphire exhibition case back, you’ll see a piece of veneered wood with three propellor blades attached, all materials sourced from four original RAF planes that were flown during both the first and second World Wars. Specifically, the propellor blades are composed of material from a Hawker Hurricane, a Supermarine Spitfire and a Bristol Blenheim.
The Bremont RAF watch
The dial looks clean and uncomplicated too, even with its additional GMT, AM/PM indicator and chronograph functions. We’re fortunate to also have its original limited edition booklets and box, accompanying Nato strap, and even a pair of Bremont cufflinks to accompany the piece.This Bremont 1918 Limited Edition will be coming up for auction in our 15th February Luxury Watches Sale, alongside other Bremont models including a ‘Supermarine S500’ and an ‘ALT1-C Anthracite’ chronograph. With a catalogue estimate of £4,500 – £5,500, we’re expecting it to fly…
Also up for auction in our next Luxury Watches Sale on 15th February is a Hublot Big Bang Limited Edition Sapphire ‘Unico Magic’ watch, its case carved entirely from blocks of transparent sapphire crystal.Although it’s not the first time that Hublot have dabbled with non-conventional materials for watches, their use of sapphire crystal as a case material is technically genius. Prior to Hublot releasing this 500 piece limited run, carved sapphire was really only seen in special ‘one-off’ editions, not really on the commercial market.
The limited edition Hublot watch
Measuring at 45mm, the case and dial are visually impressive, with the red detailing in the hands standing out against the grey dial, which is a subtle yet elegant touch. Importantly, from a practical point of view, sapphire being one of the hardest materials in the gemstone world would also make it a very difficult watch to scratch.
This will be the first time that Fellows have auctioned one of these models before. With a catalogue estimate of £14,000 – £20,000, it will be sold alongside a selection of other classic Hublot models in our February auction.
Among the array of historic medals in our Antiques, Silver, and Collectables sale, is this WWII medal group to Squadron Leader Edward John Greenleaf.
Edward John Greenleaf was a distinguished member of the RAF in the 1930’s. One of the key squadron members leading up to the end of the second world war, Edward John Greenleaf (Johnnie), performed superbly during his entrance exams and became an established flyer during a time of crisis. So much so, Johnnie Greenleaf was deployed to drop mines in the Kiel Canal in Germany, towards the end of the war. The mission was critically dangerous due to the sheer resistance and protection from German troops and searchlights.
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Posted in All, News, Uncategorized
Tagged Antique, antiques, auc, auction, auctioneers, auctions, collect, collection, Fellows, fellowsauctioneers, fellowsauctions, flyer, hero, historic, history, medal, medalgroup, medals, RAF, war, warhero, WWII medal group
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Bernard John Warren | Caterpillar Club Pin