The regimentally interesting Second World War North West Europe, post-war Palestine Jewish Revolt and Territorial Efficiency Decoration and Renfrew Airport September 1952 Caterpillar Club Badge group awarded to Colonel R.C.V. Stewart, T.D. 15th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion, Parachute Regiment, Territorial Army, formerly Royal Artillery and Army Air Corps. Stewart a pre-war Territorial, held a commission from August 1940, and was a parachutist from circa 1942. He saw service in North West Europe, and officially transferred into the Army Air Corps in June 1945, and then saw service in Palestine during the Jewish Revolt, before relinquishing his Regular Army Emergency Commission in exchange for one in the Territorial Army in October 1948. Stewart had command of ‘C’ Company of the 15th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion, and earned his badge and membership of the Caterpillar Club on 22nd September 1952, when he was one of thirty-five members of the 15th Battalion who had to make an emergency exit from an aircraft whilst on the way home from an exercise in Germany. As they approached Renfrew airport, the pilot of one of three US Air Force C62 aircraft, Lieutenant Colonel Charles Quinette, told Stewart, who was in command, that the undercarriage would not lock down and the paratroopers would have to jump to lighten the plane before he crash-landed it. “I asked him to try to put us out alongside the main runway,” Stewart recalled. None of the ‘chutes had been fitted but they were all hastily put on and everyone stood up at “Action Stations” with their kit bags and weapon valises left behind on the seats. As they stood in the door their confidence was shaken by the unusual sight of ships’ funnels close underneath. In fact the conditions were nearly ideal with no wind and everyone got away in two passes at about 700 feet in the dark. All 35 of the paras landed without major mishaps. The problem turned out to be only a warning light failure and Quinette landed his plane with its five crew and RAF dispatcher Sgt “Butch” Casey without difficulty. Praise not being high on the list of a Scotsman’s social attainments, the nearest the American crew got to thanks from the Jocks was “Drop paratroopers! They couldnae drop their trousers!!” Stewart subsequently had command of the detachment of twenty-four men from ‘C’ Company who took part in the Coronation procession of Queen Elizabeth in May 1953, and six of them led by Stewart, marched in the procession, whilst the remainder lined the route in the Piccadilly area of London. The battalion also provided route lining parties for the visit of Her Majesty to Edinburgh and Glasgow on 24th and 25th June 1953. For these services, Stewart was awarded the Coronation Medal 1953. Awarded the Efficiency Decoration with Second Award Clasp in November 1957, he was second-in-command of his battalion from 1961 to 1962, and then assumed command through to 1965, being awarded the Third Award of Efficiency Decoration in March 1965. He was ultimately promoted to Brevet Colonel in November 1965, and to Colonel in August 1966, retiring that same year.
Group of 7: 1939-1945 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence Medal; War Medal; General Service Medal 1918-1962, GVI 2nd type bust, 1 Clasp: Palestine 1945-48; (MAJOR R.C.V. STEWART. A.A.C.); Coronation Medal 1953; Efficiency Decoration, EIIR Cypher, reverse dated 1957, with Territorial top bar, and two additional EIIR cypher award bars for a Second and Third Award’s, the dates on the bars are not visible owing to the mounting. Mounted court style as worn.
Condition: Good Very Fine.
Together with the following:
Recipient’s Gold Caterpillar Club Badge, version with ruby eyes, reverse engraved: ‘MAJ RCV. STEWART.’, this together with its original laminated Caterpillar Club Certificate of Membership, issued to: ‘Major R.C.V. Stewart’.
Recipient’s matching group of miniature medals, last with only one additional award bar, mounted court style as worn.
Recipient’s Parachute Regiment maroon beret, dated for 1954, by Compton. Sons, & Webb Ltd, with Military acceptance ‘broad arrow’ mark, this with affixed King’s Crown Parachute regiment cap badge affixed onto beret with a tartan backing and indicative of his service with the 15th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion, Territorial Army.
Recipient’s tunic medal ribbon bar.
United States of America: A presentation framed box set of American Parachutist and military unit Army / Air Force badges, with plaque as gifted ‘to Col. R.C.V. Stewart T.D from his U.S. Friends’. All unit badges are identified with handwritten labels on the reverse.
Robert Charles Victor Stewart, known as Bob, originally attested for service into the Territorial Army in 1938 as a Gunner (No.1518925) with the Royal Artillery, and with the Second World War was then put forward for a commission, and after being an Officer Cadet, was then commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant (No.153350) into the Royal Artillery on 10th August 1940. Stewart saw service as a War Substantive Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery, but was attached to the Parachute Regiment from 10th February 1942, and was with it when promoted to temporary Captain on 7th September 1943. He saw active service during the war in North West Europe, and then officially transferred in into the Army Air Corps on 2nd June 1945, and went on to see service in Palestine during the Jewish Revolt as an Lieutenant, being then promoted to temporary Captain on 28th October 1948 and on the same date appointed an Acting Major, before relinquishing his Emergency Commission as a Lieutenant in the Army Air Corps on 13th November 1948, and being appointed as a Captain into the Territorial Army.
Stewart had officially transferred into the Territorial Army as a Captain and Acting Major with the Glider Pilot and Parachute Regiment on 28th October 1948, and then went on to see service with the 15th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion, having command of ‘C’ Company at Edinburgh.
A local paper in Renfrew would subsequently report: ‘On 22nd September 1952, thirty-five members of the 15th Battalion had to make an emergency exit from an aircraft whilst on the way home from an exercise in Germany. As they approached Renfrew airport, the pilot of one of three US Air Force C62 aircraft, Lieutenant Colonel Charles Quinette, told Major Bob Stewart, who was in command, that the undercarriage would not lock down and the paratroopers would have to jump to lighten the plane before he crash-landed it. “I asked him to try to put us out alongside the main runway,” Stewart recalled. None of the ‘chutes had been fitted but they were all hastily put on and everyone stood up at “Action Stations” with their kit bags and weapon valises left behind on the seats. As they stood in the door their confidence was shaken by the unusual sight of ships’ funnels close underneath.
In fact the conditions were nearly ideal with no wind and everyone got away in two passes at about 700 feet in the dark. All 35 of the paras landed without major mishaps, 34 on the airfield and one in neighbouring Arkleston Cemetery, although four spent the night in Cowglen Military Hospital and went home in the morning.
The problem turned out to be only a warning light failure and Lt Col Quinette landed his plane with its five crew and RAF dispatcher Sgt “Butch” Casey without difficulty. Praise not being high on the list of a Scotsman’s social attainments, the nearest the American crew got to thanks from the Jocks was “Drop paratroopers! They couldnae drop their trousers!!”
The only thing broken was a statuette which one of the jumpers was bringing home to his mother as a souvenir and which he had tucked into his smock. All of the jumpers became members of the exclusive Caterpillar Club, created by a parachute company, for those whose lives have been saved by using a parachute and wore the little gold badge with a white eyed caterpillar.’
Whilst still in command of ‘C’ Company, in May 1953, the 15th Scottish Battalion provided twenty-four men to take part in the Coronation procession of Queen Elizabeth, and six of them led by Stewart, marched in the procession, whilst the remainder lined the route in the Piccadilly area of London. The battalion also provided route lining parties for the visit of Her Majesty to Edinburgh and Glasgow on 24th and 25th June 1953. For his services, Stewart was awarded the Coronation Medal 1953.
Stewart was awarded the Efficiency Decoration together with the First Clasp for a Second Award in the London Gazette for 12th November 1957 when a Major in the Parachute Regiment, and having then been second-in-command of the 15th Battalion during 1961 to 1962, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and then held command of the 15th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion from 1962 to 1965, during which period he was awarded the Second Clasp to his Efficiency Decoration, this for a Third Award, as published in the London Gazette for 16th March 1965. He was then promoted to Brevet Colonel in the Parachute Regiment on 10th November 1965, and was promoted to Colonel on 12th August 1966, before transferring in that rank to the Class II Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve on 12th August 1966, and again in that rank to the Regular Army Reserve of Officers on 1st April 1969.
