Silk escape map

Item

Title

Silk escape map

Description

RAF SILK ESCAPE MAP 43C HOLLAND, BELGIUM, FRANCE, GERMANY. 43D FRANCE GERMANY, SWITZERLAND, BELGIUM. Double sided printed in colour with heat sealed edges. Sheet C - Holland, Belgium(except west coast) France(north east) Germany(west &central). Sheet D - France(south east) Germany(south west) Switzerland(except south east). Enlargement of German - Swiss Frontier.

Identifier

008.500.161

Date Created

1943

Format

Silk, ink

Alternative Title

008.500.161

Provenance

During World War II, the United States and Great Britain produced in excess of 3.5 million silk maps and cloth maps for Allied military personnel to use as escape maps. In 1940, the British military intelligence unit, known as MI 9, started issuing silk maps for use by British aircrews shot down over enemy occupied territory in Europe. The silk maps were intended to assist airman in evading capture. MI9 also smuggled silk and tissue paper escape maps into POW camps in Germany along with other escape aids to encourage POWs to attempt escape.