Escape and Evasion / Survival aids - Silk maps and Escape Compasses + more!

**Adrian Stevenson** · 03-09-2021, 02:32 PM

I have a large collection of silk escape maps coming up on Friday:

Bamfords Auctioneers & Valuers | The Derby Saleroom Medals, Militaria and Firearms Auction - ONLINE AUCTION ONLY

Cheers, Ade.

**Grimebox** · 03-12-2021, 06:32 PM

That was an amazing auction Ade. There were some really nice lots and most of the bidding/prices were fair and weren’t too strong. It’s just a shame I hadn’t won the lottery because I could have spent a small fortune and bought most things. I didn’t manage to get some of the lots I wanted but I’ve made a couple of purchases and look forward to receiving them.
I appreciate seller confidentiality but I was wondering if there was any back story as to why so many of the lots were the same. Was it just a collector or had someone got lucky with surplus back in the day?

**Adrian Stevenson** · 03-12-2021, 08:19 PM

Thanks it was a good sale.

All these items came from an old collection of a gentleman who has passed away. He bought the items many, many years ago, I suspect when they were just "Army Surplus". But clearly he know what he was looking at and had a very good eye.

Cheers, Ade.

**Grimebox** · 03-23-2021, 10:59 PM

Another example of Bartholomew map sheet K1/K2. This one has a heat sealed edge and is shown alongside an earlier one with a hemmed edge. It’s interesting to note that the earlier map is coloured black, red and green and the later map is black, red and yellow.

**Grimebox** · 03-25-2021, 01:25 PM

After what seems like an eternity my purchases from the Bamfords auction have arrived (I appreciate that they’ve been very busy. I’m just too impatient and easily excited).
I’m very pleased, the condition of all of them are excellent and without taking offence to the person who took the photos for the catalogue I think they’re all a lot better than the pictures showed. Whilst I didn’t get everything I wanted (which, in fairness, was everything) it did mean that I managed to get a couple more items that I wasn’t expecting to get.
No “big ticket” items, however, I think I got some very rare pieces that don’t always command the prices of the more popular items.

First up is a swinger ‘bar’ compass as shown in Per Ardua Libertas. I have shown it alongside the other compasses as per the image in the book.

**Grimebox** · 03-25-2021, 01:30 PM

A “visor knife”. A metal sheaf containing a razor blade that can be pushed out (a bit like a Stanley knife). I can’t find a lot of information on these so I’d be interested on views

**Grimebox** · 03-25-2021, 01:39 PM

A Bartholomew map, Sheet G covering Norway. I have never seen one of these before, although it is documented in Barbara Bonds book

**Grimebox** · 03-25-2021, 01:42 PM

An early Air Ministry mulberry leaf tissue map of Greece. It is shown alongside the silk version

**Grimebox** · 03-25-2021, 01:47 PM

And finally. A blue aerogramme paper “list of phrases” booklet. These are more commonly found printed on card so to find a blue paper one is quite rare.
They were designed so that downed airmen could communicate in simple phrases.
It is shown on a blue aerogramme map as well as the silk version

**Grimebox** · 03-25-2021, 01:53 PM

Whilst I have shown this collar stud compass previously, as I was playing I thought I’d show it alongside an RAF collar to show how it would have been worn (just need the rest of the shirt now)