From the Archives: Will you be my Valentine?

Some of the items that we have in the archives come to us with a story. Like this ladies’ compact; it is made of sterling silver and in embossed with the Badge of the RAAF – The Royal Australian Air Force.  Accompanying it were a few photos that told the story of Mike and Helen.

“They met when Helen walked into a friend’s kitchen and there sat Mike at the table eating a banana and drinking whiskey.  She remarked on the odd combination and the attraction began. 

They planned to marry when he was done his service. Helen told me that he was officially done and waiting to come home. Flu hit the barracks so Mike filled in and was killed. Helen didn’t marry ‘til later in life…..”

Compacts were popular gifts and often came with a promise. Other ‘sweetheart’ gifts were pendants, bracelets and brooches.  The badge of the airman’s service could be purchased separately and then a jeweller could put it on the item of choice.

Pillows were also a sweetheart gift but that sweetheart might be the airman’s mother or sister.

submitted by J. Grierson, CATPM Archivist

From the Archives: The Caterpillar Club

You may have heard of the Caterpillar Club.  Here, at our museum, we had a volunteer who had such a pin. His life had been saved when he jumped from his aircraft during WW2. His membership then had been issued by the Irvin Parachute Company (see first photo).

In 1922 Leslie Irvin agreed to give a gold pin to every person whose life was saved by one of his parachutes. The caterpillar was used as a name for the club because parachutes were made from silk. At the end of the Second World War the number of members with Irvin pins had grown to over 34,000 though the total of people saved by Irvin parachutes is estimated to be 100,000.

In a similar vein, in the archives, we have a mug issued by Elliott Equipment Limited of Cardiff, U.K. The inscription on the mug (see photo 2) reads “From Elliott Equipment Limited, Cardiff, to commemorate your emergency descent with an Elliott Parachute.” The donor is unknown to us, but I am sure the recipient made good use of it! 

by J. Grierson, CATPM Archivist 

Caterpillar Club Certificate & pin donated by Al Mackay
Commemorative Mug in our archives
British Parachute Company Ad

RAMWC Aircraft Donation to the CATPM

Press Release [Brandon, MB – December 13, 2024] 

The Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum (CATPM) is excited to announce the arrival of a number of British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) aircraft, various aircraft engines and parts, all courtesy of the generosity of the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada (RAMWC). The RAMWC of Winnipeg has a long-standing partnership with Brandon’s CATPM.  Over the past 5-6 years, the RAMWC has more clearly defined their mandate and as such, they recognized that certain aircraft and artefacts would not have the opportunity to be displayed.  Therefore as a sound strategic choice to de-accession the following items to Brandon in order that the public will have access to these items and their stories:

  • Bolingbroke Mk IVT – 9869
  • Fairchild Cornell II – FV705
  • North American Harvard II – AJ555
  • North American/CCF Harvard’s 2516, 2937, and an unknown Mark 4.
  • Fleet Fort
  • Armstrong Siddley Cheetah engines
  • Jacobs L4 and L6 engines
  • Kinner B5 engine

The CATPM would like to thank the RAMWC for entrusting our museum with their British Commonwealth Air Training Plan aircraft collection. These items are within our mandate of RCAF training 1939 to 1945 and will be treasured parts of our collection going forward. We have long term plans to restore several of the aircraft to flying condition. 

The RAMWC will now house their restoration team within their museum and their next four restoration projects are:

  • F86 Sabre (more than 6,800 volunteer hours invested already)
  • Junkers F13
  • Hawker Hurricane (5/8)
  • Bristol Freighter

Visitors will now be able to observe their restoration team in action on the museum hangar floor.

Below: photos of some of the aircraft & parts being moved to Brandon

For more information, please contact the CATP Museum

The Mark Humphries Orchestra Concert

What an amazing concert by the Mark Humphries Orchestra on Sunday!  We are so proud to showcase a true musical gem in our community, and grateful that over 400 came to watch because they know it as well!  

Mark, thank you for your incredible generosity, enthusiasm and hard work to get this idea going and brought to life.  To the musicians, thank you for so effortlessly transporting us back in time with such beautiful harmonies. To the sound technicians and all those who help the band look and sound so fantastic (it’s not just lots of practice!) thank you, your efforts have not gone unnoticed.  

Thank you to our sponsors and supporters: Banquets and Bashes, Clover Cakes, Hair Today Mall Barbers, and Krk Auto Fix.  Thank you to our museum volunteers, and especially to Aurora, Danica, Ben, Seraphina, Deacon, Trina, and Emma for helping out on the day. Many thanks to Trevor and the rest of the fantastic staff at the WMCA, another gem in our community that deserves all our support!  Shandar of Banquets and Bashes, you are a true gem as well.  Thank you for all that you do, and we can’t wait to do many more events with you!  

One last thank you- to everyone who came and supported the orchestra and the museum.  If you’d like us to do this again, just let us know!