Escape and Evasion / Survival aids - Silk maps and Escape Compasses + more!
Article about: Very neat addition to your collection, fine maps indeed. All you need to find is a slight variation and then it is impossible to part with! I will be posting a very rare MI-9 German Identity
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04-15-2013, 10:32 PM
#151
Re: Escape and Evasion / Survival aids - Silk maps and Escape Compasses + more!
[QUOTE=Grimebox;837379 The interesting item, however, is the shaving brush. It is dated 1943 and the end unscrews to reveal a standard escape compass set into the 'lid'. Unfortunately somebody has had a good go at trying to dig it out!
The map is a very faded Batholomew map covering Germany - I have shown it alongside an unfaded example[/QUOTE]
Hi Grimebox, interesting group. Did you see the same shaving brush that sold on eBay last year? Had a different compass in it, which was certainly not supplied by MI9, but interestingly, had a very period looking cork plug over it, concealing it quite effectively...
But what is different with this shaving brush, is that it has no degree of covert concealment? ALL other MI9 shaving brush carriers either have glued in bristles over the concealment, or a reversing thread, to keep the enemy guessing. This type has nothing, an idiot would find that compass without too much trouble... So was this a personal concealment, by someone not in the MI9 loop, or are they a later construction?
By the way, I have two of these. One like yours, with an open compass, and one with the compass under the residue of a stick of shaving soap, which has run out and someone has scraped away, to reveal a somewhat green Mildewed compass... So it may be they had shaving sticks inside the handle when used , concealing the compasses?
Thoughts/comments anyone?
Regards TB
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04-15-2013, 11:23 PM
#152
Re: Escape and Evasion / Survival aids - Silk maps and Escape Compasses + more!
I would be interested in seeing your shaving brushes. I think I know of the shaving brush that you are talking of that sold on Ebay (I think it sold around the £200 - £250 mark). I had a good search on the internet, IWM archives and books that I have and the only shaving brushes with concealed compasses (or maps) that I could find were either of the wooden variety (where the brush detaches from the main handle so it is well concealed) or the standard Gilette brushes which are shown in Per Ardua Libertas.
Whether the compass was set deeper into the 'lid' when it was first put in there so that it could be covered by something I don't know (It's in there pretty tight now). I would suggest that items hidden inside a shaving brush would only be of use post capture i.e. in a P.o.W camp, and that these type of brushes would be well searched by the Germans. Thus, given that the compass would probably be found (even if covered by something) I don't believe it is an official made piece.
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04-24-2013, 06:32 PM
#153
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04-24-2013, 06:38 PM
#154
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04-24-2013, 06:53 PM
#155
Re: Escape and Evasion / Survival aids - Silk maps and Escape Compasses + more!
Always interesting looking at this threat.
chris
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04-24-2013, 06:59 PM
#156
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04-25-2013, 03:28 AM
#157
Re: Escape and Evasion / Survival aids - Silk maps and Escape Compasses + more!
I have one marked S2 & S3 for Italy and Greece (small Italy & Greece on one side large Greece Turkey and Crete on the other) Its on a pale yellow material, any idea why?
It mentions various former international boundaries the last date being Aug 30th. 1940. What may be the date of issue?
Also I have seen one of the hollow dice for sale, (its not cheap) do you really think it was an escape aid?
Regards,
Pete
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04-25-2013, 10:48 AM
#158
Re: Escape and Evasion / Survival aids - Silk maps and Escape Compasses + more!
Map S2 / S3 will be a Bartholomew map dating from around 1940 - 43. The international boundaries obviously changed a lot during the war so the dates relate to what is shown on the map and do not necessarily date the map itself. These maps do age over time and it is not uncommon to find that they have faded / discoloured to yellow.
The hollow dice is an unusual piece, unfortunately, as with a lot of MI9, etc material there is not vast documentation on what existed. The dice fits the smallest escape compass at a squeeze and is a period looking dice. The question to ask is what is the benefit in producing a hollow dice? It does not benefit the manufacturing process and the void is too small to hide anything on a domestic/commercial basis. The other option is a magicians prop, however, it is very fiddly to open and very small. I wouldn't pay a vast sum of money for one without any provenance .
Last edited by Grimebox; 05-04-2013 at 09:50 PM.
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04-25-2013, 03:34 PM
#159
Re: Escape and Evasion / Survival aids - Silk maps and Escape Compasses + more!
Thanks for the reply. The map has not faded, it is a definite yellow. As for the dice, I agree and will pass.
Pete
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05-04-2013, 10:07 PM
#160
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