Panel 1: What is the Caterpillar Club? The Caterpillar Club was founded in 1922 by the Irvin Air Chute Company. To join the club one’s life had to have been saved by an Irvin Parachute. The illustration that accompanies the text is a Caterpillar Club lapel pin. Panel 2: Just using a parachute is not enough to get you into the club. You have to leave a damaged aircraft. A recreational jump out of an airplane does not count. The illustration shows an exploding B-17 bomber and a single figure parachuting to safety. Panel 3: World War II airmen and others who bailed out of shot-down aircraft were eligible to become members of the Caterpillar Club. To the right of the text there is a picture of an airman descending under an open parachute. Panel 4: Why Caterpillars? Caterpillars make silk. Irvin’s parachutes were made of silk. For more see: Into the Silk: True Stories of the Caterpillar Club by Ian Mackersey (1956) The illustration shows the spine and cover of the Mackersey’s book, Into the Silk. This cartoon is part of a series called Falling. It is written and drawn by Jim Hamilton who can be found on Instagram at Green Harbor Publications (all one word, greenharborpublications).
Panel 1: What is the Caterpillar Club? The Caterpillar Club was founded in 1922 by the Irvin Air Chute Company. To join the club one’s life had to have been saved by an Irvin Parachute. The illustration that accompanies the text is a Caterpillar Club lapel pin. Panel 2: Just using a parachute is not enough to get you into the club. You have to leave a damaged aircraft. A recreational jump out of an airplane does not count. The illustration shows an exploding B-17 bomber and a single figure parachuting to safety. Panel 3: World War II airmen and others who bailed out of shot-down aircraft were eligible to become members of the Caterpillar Club. To the right of the text there is a picture of an airman descending under an open parachute. Panel 4: Why Caterpillars? Caterpillars make silk. Irvin’s parachutes were made of silk. For more see: Into the Silk: True Stories of the Caterpillar Club by Ian Mackersey (1956) The illustration shows the spine and cover of the Mackersey’s book, Into the Silk. This cartoon is part of a series called Falling. It is written and drawn by Jim Hamilton who can be found on Instagram at Green Harbor Publications (all one word, greenharborpublications).
Published On: January 23, 2025

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

*

*