Silk escape map

Item

Title

Silk escape map

Description

RAF SILK ESCAPE MAP OF ITALY, GREECE AND TURKEY IN EUROPE. Double sided printed in colour. Sheet S2, Greece and Crete. Sheet S3, Italy Greece and Turkey in Europe. Heat sealed edges.

Identifier

007.122.004

Format

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. MI 9 also smuggled silk and tissue paper escape maps into POW camps in Germany along with other escape aids to encourage POWs to attempt escape.

Abstract

Good

Date Created

1938-40