Lot

373

Nationally Important Gold Caterpillar Club Badge and Log Books of Air Vice Marshall Donald Bennett C

In Fine Arms, Armour & Militaria - Two Day Auction

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Kenardington, Kent
Nationally Important Gold Caterpillar Club Badge and Log Books of Air Vice Marshall Donald Bennett CB, CBE, DSO, Royal Air Force, Commander of the Pathfinder Force During WW2, Caterpillar Club badge in gold with ruby eyes, reverse engraved ‘WC/CDR D C T BENNETT’. Brooch pin fitting to the reverse. Accompanying the badge are eight original Royal Air Force and Civilian Flying Log Books belonging to Bennett, the log books cover pre-war, wartime and post war period. The logs cover his time training with the RAF and also his time serving with the Imperial Airways. The most interesting from a wartime period is his civilian log book titled as ‘4’, this log has the entry on 27th April 1942, which states he was ‘Shot down low level attack on Tirpitz’ and the last entry in the log on 5th July 1942, ‘Appointed to Command Path Finder Force’. The logs are well filled out with many interesting details, including his involvement in the Berlin Airlift. Being sold by direct family descent of Air Vice Marshall Bennett. Donald Bennett was born the youngest son of a grazier and business agent in Queensland, Australia. He attended Brisbane Grammar School. After some time working in his father's business, he joined the Royal Australian Air Force in 1930, qualifying at RAAF Point Crook as a pilot. He transferred to the RAF a year later. Starting with the flying Boats of no 210 Squadron. Bennett developed a passion for accurate flying and precise navigation that would never leave him. After a period as an instructor, he left the service in 1935, retaining a reserve commission, to join Imperial Airways. Over the next five years, Bennett specialised in long-distance flights, breaking a number of records and pioneering techniques which would later become commonplace, notably air to air refuelling. In July 1938 he piloted the Mercury part of the Short Mayo Composite flying-boat across the Atlantic; this flight earned him the Oswald Watt Gold Medal for that year.During 1940 Bennett was involved in setting up the Atlantic Ferry Crossing, bringing many aircraft over from the USA to the UK. In 1941 he was recommissioned into the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve as a Squadron Leader. Promoted to Wing Commander, he was posted to command No77 Squadron, as part of Bomber Command. In April 1942, No. 77 Squadron was transferred to Coastal Command and Bennett was given command of No. 10 Squadron (Handley Page Halifax) and shortly afterwards led a raid on the German battleship Tirpitz. Shot down during that raid, he evaded capture and escaped to Sweden, from where he was able to return to Britain; he and his copilot were awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) on 16 June 1942. It was for this raid on the Tirpitz which resulted in the award of the Caterpillar Club badge. In July 1942, Bennett was appointed to command the new Pathfinder Force (PFF), an elite unit tasked with improving RAF Bomber Command's navigation. At this stage of the war, Bomber Command had begun to make night-time raids deep into Germany, but had not yet been able to cause significant damage, largely because only about a quarter of the bomb loads were delivered "on target" — and this at a time when "on target" was defined as within three miles of the aim point. Bennett was called to Bomber Command HQ when he was on the point of leaving with his squadron for the Middle East. There he was informed by Sir Arthur Harris (Bomber Harris), that he was to lead a special force to make use of the new bombing and navigational aids then available and the more sophisticated ones that would follow. With effect from 5 July he was promoted to group captain. In 1943 Bennett was promoted with the upgrading of PFF to group status to air commodore, and then in December to acting air vice marshal, the youngest ever to hold that rank, giving him a rank similar to those of the other commanders of groups. He remained in command of the Pathfinder Force until the end of the war, overseeing its growth to an eventual 19 squadrons, a training flight and a meteorological flight, working relentlessly to improve its standards, and tirelessly campaigning for better equipment, in particular for more Mosquitos and Lancasters to replace the diverse assortment of often obsolete aircraft with which the force started.
Nationally Important Gold Caterpillar Club Badge and Log Books of Air Vice Marshall Donald Bennett CB, CBE, DSO, Royal Air Force, Commander of the Pathfinder Force During WW2, Caterpillar Club badge in gold with ruby eyes, reverse engraved ‘WC/CDR D C T BENNETT’. Brooch pin fitting to the reverse. Accompanying the badge are eight original Royal Air Force and Civilian Flying Log Books belonging to Bennett, the log books cover pre-war, wartime and post war period. The logs cover his time training with the RAF and also his time serving with the Imperial Airways. The most interesting from a wartime period is his civilian log book titled as ‘4’, this log has the entry on 27th April 1942, which states he was ‘Shot down low level attack on Tirpitz’ and the last entry in the log on 5th July 1942, ‘Appointed to Command Path Finder Force’. The logs are well filled out with many interesting details, including his involvement in the Berlin Airlift. Being sold by direct family descent of Air Vice Marshall Bennett. Donald Bennett was born the youngest son of a grazier and business agent in Queensland, Australia. He attended Brisbane Grammar School. After some time working in his father's business, he joined the Royal Australian Air Force in 1930, qualifying at RAAF Point Crook as a pilot. He transferred to the RAF a year later. Starting with the flying Boats of no 210 Squadron. Bennett developed a passion for accurate flying and precise navigation that would never leave him. After a period as an instructor, he left the service in 1935, retaining a reserve commission, to join Imperial Airways. Over the next five years, Bennett specialised in long-distance flights, breaking a number of records and pioneering techniques which would later become commonplace, notably air to air refuelling. In July 1938 he piloted the Mercury part of the Short Mayo Composite flying-boat across the Atlantic; this flight earned him the Oswald Watt Gold Medal for that year.During 1940 Bennett was involved in setting up the Atlantic Ferry Crossing, bringing many aircraft over from the USA to the UK. In 1941 he was recommissioned into the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve as a Squadron Leader. Promoted to Wing Commander, he was posted to command No77 Squadron, as part of Bomber Command. In April 1942, No. 77 Squadron was transferred to Coastal Command and Bennett was given command of No. 10 Squadron (Handley Page Halifax) and shortly afterwards led a raid on the German battleship Tirpitz. Shot down during that raid, he evaded capture and escaped to Sweden, from where he was able to return to Britain; he and his copilot were awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) on 16 June 1942. It was for this raid on the Tirpitz which resulted in the award of the Caterpillar Club badge. In July 1942, Bennett was appointed to command the new Pathfinder Force (PFF), an elite unit tasked with improving RAF Bomber Command's navigation. At this stage of the war, Bomber Command had begun to make night-time raids deep into Germany, but had not yet been able to cause significant damage, largely because only about a quarter of the bomb loads were delivered "on target" — and this at a time when "on target" was defined as within three miles of the aim point. Bennett was called to Bomber Command HQ when he was on the point of leaving with his squadron for the Middle East. There he was informed by Sir Arthur Harris (Bomber Harris), that he was to lead a special force to make use of the new bombing and navigational aids then available and the more sophisticated ones that would follow. With effect from 5 July he was promoted to group captain. In 1943 Bennett was promoted with the upgrading of PFF to group status to air commodore, and then in December to acting air vice marshal, the youngest ever to hold that rank, giving him a rank similar to those of the other commanders of groups. He remained in command of the Pathfinder Force until the end of the war, overseeing its growth to an eventual 19 squadrons, a training flight and a meteorological flight, working relentlessly to improve its standards, and tirelessly campaigning for better equipment, in particular for more Mosquitos and Lancasters to replace the diverse assortment of often obsolete aircraft with which the force started.

Fine Arms, Armour & Militaria - Two Day Auction

Sale Date(s)
Lots: 1-474
Lots: 475 - 1057
Venue Address
Unit 4 High House Business Park
High House Lane
Kenardington
Kent
TN26 2LF
United Kingdom

 

 

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Important Information

Please note this auction is a two day auction

Day 1 (Tuesday 16th July) Lot 1 - Lot 474

Day 2 (Wednesday 17th July) Lot 475 - 1057

SHIPPING OF EDGED WEAPONS

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1 Sword in the UK: £50 + VAT

1 Bayonet / Knife in the UK: £45 + VAT

Any bidder who is interested in buying a number of items we would recommend personal collection or arrange to collect from an exhibition we are attending. 

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Terms & Conditions

Buyers Premium:    Winning bidders agree to pay the winning bid plus the buyers premium charged by the auction house, this is currently 22% + VAT (26.4% total). Buyers purchasing via an online live bidding platform the-saleroom.com will be charged an additional 4.95% + VAT on the hammer price.

 If you are successful in an auction with an absentee, telephone or internet bid, you will be invoiced, normally within 48 hours of the auction taking place. This invoice will normally include a shipping quote. These invoices are sent via email and have an attachment. Once you have had this invoice we require full payment within 7 days, unless another arrangement has been made with the auction house. Items must be collected from C&T Auctioneers and Valuers within 7 days of payment being made, unless agreement is in place with C&T Auctioneers and Valuers.

Shipping

C&T Auctioneers and Valuers  offer an in house postal service for this auction, unless stated. However if an item(s) are too large or need specialist shipping methods, this will be conducted by a third party firm.This also relates to lots of a certain value.

C&T Auctioneers and Valuers are not responsible for any damage caused when items are in transit with postal or courier firms. We are also not responsible for any package sent either by ourselves or any third party company which is lost in transit.

PLEASE READ OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS BELOW BEFORE BIDDING THANK YOU

Terms & Conditions

When participating in an auction conducted by C&T Auctioneers and Valuers you are bound by these conditions without exception. All public auctions held by C&T Auctioneers and Valuers are exempt from the Sale of Goods Act. Please make sure that you agree and understand these conditions.

 

BUYER

 

1:            C&T Auctioneers and Valuers at no point are the legal owners of the lots offered in our auctions. We act solely as an agent between the Vendor and the Buyer.

 

2:            The highest bidder of any lot will not become the legal owner of the lot until all associated fees have been paid to the Auction House, this includes any fees charged by the auction house.

 

3:            Winning bidders agree to pay the winning bid plus the buyers premium charged by the auction house, this is currently 22% + VAT (26.4% total). Buyers purchasing via the-saleroom.com online live bidding platform will be charged an additional 4.95% + VAT on the hammer price.

 

4:            When registering for our auctions you may be required to provide proof of identity and address. If registering for absentee or telephone bids a form of payment method must be left with the auctioneers.

 

5:            It is the responsibility of the bidder to insure that all absentee bids are left with the auction house at least 24 hours before an auction takes place. No bids will be accepted on the day of the auction, unless you are known to the auction house or have an agreement with the auctioneer. C&T Auctioneers and Valuers are not responsible for any errors on a bidding sheet. C&T Auctioneers make every effort to insure all bids left are placed on the auctioneers book, however we cannot accept reliability for any failure to receive or place any bids.

 

6:            If two identical bids are left on one lot, the bid received first will take preference.

 

7:            Telephone bids will only be accepted for lots with a bottom pre sale estimate of £200 or more. Telephone bids will only be accepted for lots with a pre sale estimate of under £200 if you are bidding on multiple lots which equal over £100 or are known to the auction house and have an agreement in place. International bidders we will only accept telephone bids on lots with a pre sale estimate of £500 or more.

 

8:            Bids are accepted solely at the auctioneers discretion. The auctioneer has the legal right to re-open any lot in the auction, even if the hammer has come down. Any bids left via a third party, including a online bidding platform, are not classed as absentee bids and are taken as if a room bid. This may mean that the maximum bid you have left will fall on the bidder in the room, C&T Auctioneers and Valuers are not liable or responsible for any failure for your bid to be executed. C&T Auctioneers and Valuers are also not responsible for any error or problem with any bidding platform software used in the room or at the bidders location.  

 

 

9:            Conditions stated of items are the opinion of the cataloguer for the auction house. It is advised that interested bidders should view items in person or ask for condition reports of any defects. Condition will not be accepted for a reason to return a lot.

 

10:          Some items may be referred to as “gold grade”, this does not mean that the item is made of gold, please make sure you check with us before bidding.

 

11:          Originality of items offered for sale in C&T Auctioneers and Valuers are the opinion of the specialist employed by the auction house. All bidders should make sure that they are happy with the originality of any item they intend to bid on.

 

12:          Any statement made in the description of a lot is the opinion of the specialist cataloguer and will be either from evidence he or she has at the time of writing the description, this may also be information provided by the vendor of the lot. We advise all bidders to confirm this information before the auction takes place.

 

13:          If bidders and buyers who are not experts in the lots they are interested in, we would recommend that they seek independent advice on the lots and the value before bidding.

 

14:          All successful buyers in the auction room, must pay and collect their items on the day of the sale unless an agreement is in place with the auction house.

 

15:          If you are successful in an auction with an absentee, telephone or internet bid, you will be invoiced, normally within 48 hours of the auction taking place. This invoice will normally include a shipping quote. These invoices are sent via email and have an attachment. Once you have had this invoice we require full payment within 7 days, unless another arrangement has been made with the auction house. Items must be collected from C&T Auctioneers and Valuers within 7 days of payment being made, unless agreement is in place with C&T Auctioneers and Valuers.

 

16:          C&T Auctioneers and Valuers do offer an in house postal service for most items in our auctions, unless stated. However if an item(s) are too large or need specialist shipping methods, this will be conducted by a third party firm. Details of the firm we recommend will be passed onto buyers in this case. This also relates to lots of a certain value. PLEASE NOTE C&T AUCTIONEERS AND VALUERS ARE NOT A SHIPPING COMPANY, WE WOULD ASK ALL BUYERS TO BE PATIENT AND ITEMS ARE DEALT WITH ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVE BASIS.

 

17:          C&T Auctioneers and Valuers are not responsible for any damage caused when items are in transit with postal / courier firms. We are also not responsible for any package sent either by ourselves or any third party company which is lost in transit.

 

18:          C&T Auctioneers and Valuers declare the full value of any lot sent to international buyers. We are not responsible for any customs import charges of the country of destination. It is the buyers responsibility to make sure they can legally import the item into their country. We advise international buyers if they are not sure of any import issue, to obtain independent advice.

 

19:          C&T Auctioneers and Valuers accept the following methods of payment, Cash in UK  pounds sterling up to £3,000, Personal Cheques (must clear before goods are dispatched), Debit cards, Credit cards (2% surcharge will be added if paying with a credit card from clients outside the EU only), Bank Transfers (Please note that if paying by this method the amount received after the deduction of any bank fees or currency conversion of payment to UK pound sterling must not be less than the sterling amount payable as set out on the invoice).

Credit card payments where the card holder is not present will only be accepted for transactions up to £500.

 

 

20:          If you purchase an item and you are not happy with the originality of an item you must contact the auction house within 7 days of receiving the lot(s), it is then solely up to the auctioneers discretion to issue a refund. Proof of error in description may be required, this is the responsibility of the purchaser to obtain this information and any fees associated with this are not refundable by C&T Auctioneers and Valuers. We will only accept information by a professional in the chosen field, we will not accept any information from a private individual or internet collectors forum. Any payment fees or postage fees associated with any lot can not be refunded.

 

21:          If originality of an item is accepted proven after the vendor has been paid for a lot, it is up to the vendor, if they are willing to issue a refund. C&T Auctioneers and Valuers are unable to offer a refund without having an agreement from the vendor. Refunds will only be issued to the purchaser of the item and not if the item has been given or sold to a third party.                

23:          Items purchased must be posted, collected and removed from our premises within two weeks following the sale. Thereafter a daily storage charge of £2 per lot + VAT at prevailing rate. Continued failure to collect or arrange shipping will result in the goods being sold without further notice and without reserve to recover the costs for storage unless agreement has been made in writing with us. 

24:          All items sold are sold as collectors items, recommended for display use only and we do not advise or take any responsibility if used for the purpose for which they were designed for.

25:          Any lots with the following symbol ^, will indicate that a CITES license will be required before the lot can be shipped outside of the EU. 

26. Sales to other EC member states

Sales made under the Auctioneers’ Scheme to other member states are treated in the same way as sales within the UK. The sales are liable to VAT in the UK.

See Full Terms And Conditions

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