Beerwah Para war vet tells of his entry to exclusive Caterpillar Club
BEERWAH resident, Bill Morgan, was awarded membership to the exclusive Caterpillar Club during his two years as a National Serviceman in Britain in the late 1940s.
The only requirement for membership is to have one’s life saved by an Irvin parachute while jumping from an aircraft.
The gold caterpillar badge is associated with the silk worm and silk parachute.
Bill recalled: “As an 18 year old I was called up for British National Service on June 5 in 1947.”
“My first posting for six weeks basic training was with the Royal West Kent Regiment at Maidstone in Kent,” Bill (pictured) said.
“At the completion of basic training I was then sent to the No 1 Training Regiment Royal Engineers (I had completed a Carpenters Apprenticeship).
“This was a 13-week Sappers Recruit Training course held at Malvern, Worcestershire. Nearing the end of this course we were visited by two members of the Parachute Regiment, complete with parachutes. They explained the joys of parachuting and called for volunteers. I put my name down, and subsequently commenced Para training.”
Training meant the completion of eight jumps to attain your ‘wings’ and a red beret. The first two jumps were from a hot air balloon and the balance from an aircraft. Bill was granted the Parachute Badge on January 21 1948. As a parachutist, Bill was aware he would receive an extra 2/6d per day in pay!
Bill’s next posting was to the Rhine in Germany in March 1948; first to Bielefeld, then Hamburg and finally to the 3rd Airborne Squadron in Neumunster, Schleswig Holstein.
Shortly after arriving in Germany there was a call for volunteers for the Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment (AFEE) at Beaulieu Airfield in Hampshire, England. Once again, Bill put his hand up and by April 2 1948 he found himself back in the UK.
The work at AFEE was mainly testing various aircraft’s suitability for parachuting, using British aircraft and equipment. Parachute drops were an integral part of the testing. 300 ‘dummy’ drops from an aircraft at 600 feet were made when testing equipment, before 300 ‘live’ drops.
Load testing during ‘live’ drops meant 30 fully equipped men jumping from one aircraft at 2000 feet.
Bill described the experience of having 80lb of concrete attached to his legs, a 28lb main parachute pack on his back, a 28lb reserve parachute pack on his chest and a kitbag attached to his belt.
In June 1948, Bill bailed out of the aircraft at 2000 feet but his main chute didn’t open. He then tried to release the reserve chute but the spring mechanism failed. After a few anxious moments he succeeded in pulling the reserve chute out of its pack, released the kitbag and it hit the ground before getting to the end of its 20ft rope. Bill hit the ground hard with moments to spare. His first thought was, ‘I need a smoke.’
Bill’s officer-in-charge told him to get another parachute and go up again, which he did.
The episode entitled him to membership into the Caterpillar Club and he duly received his golden caterpillar and certificate.
Bill remained with the AFEE until his release from National Service on June 14 1949.
In November 1950, Bill arrived in Australia as a migrant.
Unfortunately, Bill’s Caterpillar gold badge was lost when his home in Brisbane was burgled.
