Lot 4044

Description

Australia. WWII, RAAF Caterpillar Club badge, complete with red eyes, pin-backed with catch (20mm x 3mm). Engraved on underside 'Flt Sgt K.Holden'. Extremely fine and rare.

430657 Warrant Officer Keith Holden, 358 Sqdn RAAF, born 17Jan1925, Tatura, Victoria; Enl.26Feb1943; Embarked Sydney 13Dec1943 for UK; disembarked 26Jan1944; embarked UK for Bombay; disembarked Bombay 11Jul1944 to 358 Squadron; bailed out of his Liberator 28Jul1945; Embarked India 25Dec1945; RTA 01Jan1946; discharged 02Apr1946. Entitled to 1939-45 Star, Burma Star, Defence Medal 1939-45, War Medal 1939-45, Australia Service Medal 1939-45; served 301 hours during 24 sorties with 358 Squadron in India flying Liberators, total flying hours 490. How W/O Keith Holden RAAF qualified as a member of the Caterpillar Club - 'The Liberator could sustain considerable damage and still keep flying. F/O/ D C L Kearns in KH160:'W' (of 358 Sqn), returned from operations on 28 July (1945) with about three to four feet of the starboard wing missing and extensive damage to the port fin and nose section. He had been climbing away from the DZ, situated in a pocket in some hills, by flying along a valley but to his consternation he was suddenly confronted by a high tree-covered saddle between the hill tops. After dropping the load of containers and packages, he had opened up the engines to climb away but there had been no immediate response; the airspeed was still down to 135mph when he turned right to climb out of the valley and had encountered the ridge. Seeing that he was not going to make it by engine power, he pulled back on the control yoke and the Liberator staggered through the tops of the trees at 90mph. How he kept the aircraft flying is a mystery. At Jessore he found that the Liberator became uncontrollable at less than 155mph and ordered five of the crew out by parachute. The second pilot and navigator stayed with him, and he made a good landing at the high speed - an excellent piece of airmanship'. Together with thirty four colour copies of his service record.