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
Earning a Caterpillar Club pin
An incident worthy of a pin
On April 23rd, 1944, tragedy struck and the Caterpillar Club gained a new member. The eighth and final operation for Lancaster ME741 almost didn't happen. Take-off was delayed for the bomber crews of the 103 squadron at first when a plane from another squadron caught fire. The 103 crews had to use a different runway. Due to these changes, only 13 or the intended 15 planes took off. Once in the air, they made their way across Mainland Europe towards Dusseldorf. As Warren's crew flew over the burning German city, they were hit by a flak and lost control.
Warren recalled the incident:
"My intercom went dead, the hydraulics ceased to function and my guns were U/S. I rotated the turret by manual control but, from then on, I was a sitting duck. More flak followed and with the aircraft now on fire, I decided to leave the turret. On entering the fuselage I came face to face with our wireless operator who had been sent back to see if I was still alive. He indicated that we were to bale out and I put on my parachute and followed him out of the rear door.”
Our thanks go to David Fell for his research on this incident and the 103 Squadron.
Prisoner of war
Warren was one of the lucky ones, although stranded behind enemy lines, he was unhurt. He was captured by German soldiers and became a prisoner of war. He was first imprisoned in Stalag Luft 6 at Heydekrug, then Stalag 357 'Kopernikus', at Thorn (now known as Toruń) in Poland.
Conditions at the camps were miserable. He and the other prisoners endured harsh conditions until April 1945 when they were released due to the advance of Allied forces. The story does not end there, however. Upon their release, the POWs were mistaken for Germans by the Allies, and they suffered an attack by British Typhoon fighter-bombers. At least sixty prisoners of war were killed and many more were wounded.
Bernard Warren’s wartime experience is peppered with instances of survival against the odds. We are privileged to be given the chance to discover these stories and share them as part of our auction process. We would never have known about his time in the RAF and subsequent internment as a POW if not for this piece of gold measuring less than 2cm in length.
As we have seen with the other Caterpillar Club pins we have sold at auction, his story is not uncommon. However, that does not make it any less remarkable.
Sgt. B J Warren's Caterpillar Club pin at auction
Lot 194 Caterpillar club pin awarded to Sgt. B. J. Warren.
Price Realised: £1,170.00
Our Antiques specialist, Alison Snowdon said: "To be offering a second Caterpillar Club pin this year truly is an absolute honour. It is a privilege to share the stories of bravery and heroism wrapped up in these little pins. Their potential for research and intrigue really is second to none. The potential to uncover the stories of why and how they were awarded never ceases to amaze me".
Monies, Medals & Militaria
Thursday 25th April 2024 - Ends from 12:00 pm
Viewing Times:
London Thursday 18th April 11:00-17:00
Birmingham Wednesday 24th April 10:00-16:00
Virtual viewings are available by request. Virtual viewings are the ultimate personal shopping experience. Using Zoom, you can ask us whatever you need to know to buy with confidence. Find out more here. Please contact coins@fellows.co.uk to book a virtual viewing
Newsletter Signup
Newsletter
