Caterpillar Club - WW2

[mollymoo43]

I am trying to get hold of a replacement Caterpillar Club Gold Lapel pin for my father in law who has lost his. Those whose lives were saved by a parachute during the wars received a pin as recognition of the event. My father in law was shot down in 1942 & in a german POW camp for 4 years. THis pin means a lot to him. I have tracked down the company & written & emaied but there has been no response. Has anyone here any ideas at all ? Any help gratefully received.

[rekstout]

Someone in the US is selling one as part of a collection

Watch EBay listings for the UK as they seem to come up every now and again

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2271205 920&category=74708&sspagename=rvi:1:1

[Maud]

Contact the following: Elizabeth Johnson, Director, Marketing and Sales, Irvin Aerospace Canada Ltd., [phone] E-Mail: [email protected] who will provide you with a replacement Caterpillar Lapel Pin if you provide her with some basic details of your father-in-law to assure her of his entitlement to hold one. Was he in Stalag Luft 1 by any chance?

[Maud]

I have found another contact for you to obtain a replacement Caterpillar Club pin from the Irvin Aerospace Limited; Judy Adams Caterpillar Club Irvin Aerospace Limited Icknield Way Letchworth, Hertfordshire England SG6 1EU Telephone: [phone] Fax: [phone] Email: [email protected] When inquiring about obtaining a replacement pin they request that you provide as much information about the incident as possible, including the full name of the member, the date of the incident, the location of the incident, and the reason that a replacement pin is being sought. Also, any other supporting documentation that may be helpful in tracing membership records. The cost of the replacement pins are: Gold Pin �40.00 Silver Gilt Pin �20.00

[Headtime]

God, Maud. What a fantastic answer! Do you work as a private detective?

[mollymoo43]

Thx Maud but that is exactly the email & address that I mailed some while ago with no response at all. Did you get this info from a search or from another source ? Mollymoo

[mollymoo43]

Maud Father in law was in stalaglufts 3,6 & 357 Mollymoo

[mollymoo43]

thx rekstout I will try ebay too Mollymoo

[Maud]

Hello, molly. A relative who was a Lancaster pilot went down in flames over Germany on his 18th mission towards the end of the war, managed to bale out and after capture spent about a year in Stalag Luft 1. He did his RAF training in Canada, and his chute was made by Irvin, Canada. He lost his pin some 5 years ago, and I contacted Irvin, Canada, who, although it was an European operation, could not do enough and supplied a pin together with the nicest letter. I sent an e-mail for you to a name that I had in Canada, and received a reply from a different name indicating Letchworth. However, I have since discovered that Irvin UK is listed as a dormant company with the address Irvin Aerospace Ltd, Bettws Road, Llangeinor, Bridgend, mid Glamorgan, CF32 8R. I have not yet tracked down the Caterpillar Club, which surely must still exist, but I have some enquiries out and will let you know if they bear fruit.

[Kevbk]

I am also having this problem and when i tried to email [email protected] (sujested in an other answer) It failed to deliver reason: unknown local part "judya" in domain "irvin.co.uk" I am still trying to locate The Caterpillar Club myself and trying to obtain a replacement pin. I will let you know if i find anything.

[mollymoo43]

To Maud & Kev I have had a reply from a very nice lady at Irvin Canada called Eileen. I have just mailed her back with some details. Kev - email the details Maud gave for Canada. Maud I will try the welsh address too. I will let you both know how I get on. Will you let me know if you have any success too ? You are both good people. Thank you. Wish us luck. The pin means a great deal to an 86 year old man who lost his wife of 56 years recently. It will mean a lot if I can replace it after he wore it for alomost 60 years. Regards Mollymoo

[mollymoo43]

just noticed my typo - he was shot down in 1941 not 1942. 8.11.41 in fact. mollymoo

[Maud]

Hello, molly. Happy to be able to say that I have just had a positive response to one of my enquiries. The Caterpillar Club is in the hands of "Marie Gowan - The Caterpillar Club" and she can be e-mailed at [email protected]. She has to send you an application form, so if you do make e-mail contact with Marie include your postal address as well as brief details of your father-in-law so that she can verify he is a member. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

[mollymoo43]

Thx again Maud. I will try that line too but just had an email from canada again. Eileen has pointed me towards the elusive Judy adams who now has a new email address with welsh branch of Irvin. For info & for Kev too ir is [email protected]. I am going to mail them both now. Regards Mollymoo