Uploaded December 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
During the Second World War, Department 9 of the British Directorate of Military Intelligence (MI9) created a wide variety of equipment to help downed airmen evade capture and escape back to Allied lines. This included compasses hidden in a number of common objects, including uniform buttons, razor blades and pens.
0:00 Introduction
1:06 "Clutty" Hutton - the real-life "Q"
2:51 Early pattern escape compass
3:16 "Pillbox" escape compass
4:35 Miniature escape compass
4:48 Tunic button compass
5:21 Trouser button and 'Westkit' compasses
6:24 Battledress buckle compass
6:35 'Swinger' compass
7:07 Miscellaneous escape compasses
7:30 Outro
Escape Boots video: youtube.com/watch?v=8i9gRc_Y2Bk&t=1s&pp=ygULZWNhcGUgYm9vdHM%3D
SOURCES:
orau.org/health-physics-museum/collection/radioluminescent/wwii-raf-button-compass.html
ehive.com/collections/3983/objects/142071/compass-button
airministrymilitaria.com/en-GB/escape-survival-gear/raf-escape-compass-button/prod_10389
compassmuseum.com/esc/esc.htm
paratrooper.be/articles/escape-compasses
https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/blog/second-world-war-escape-and-evasion-compasses
Dear, Ian, Escape & Evasion:POW Breakouts in World War II, Rigel Publications, London, 1997
During the Second World War, Department 9 of the British Directorate of Military Intelligence (MI9) created a wide variety of equipment to help downed airmen evade capture and escape back to Allied lines. This included compasses hidden in a number of common objects, including uniform buttons, razor blades and pens.
0:00 Introduction
1:06 "Clutty" Hutton - the real-life "Q"
2:51 Early pattern escape compass
3:16 "Pillbox" escape compass
4:35 Miniature escape compass
4:48 Tunic button compass
5:21 Trouser button and 'Westkit' compasses
6:24 Battledress buckle compass
6:35 'Swinger' compass
7:07 Miscellaneous escape compasses
7:30 Outro
Escape Boots video: youtube.com/watch?v=8i9gRc_Y2Bk&t=1s&pp=ygULZWNhcGUgYm9vdHM%3D
SOURCES:
orau.org/health-physics-museum/collection/radioluminescent/wwii-raf-button-compass.html
ehive.com/collections/3983/objects/142071/compass-button
airministrymilitaria.com/en-GB/escape-survival-gear/raf-escape-compass-button/prod_10389
compassmuseum.com/esc/esc.htm
paratrooper.be/articles/escape-compasses
https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/blog/second-world-war-escape-and-evasion-compasses
Dear, Ian, Escape & Evasion:POW Breakouts in World War II, Rigel Publications, London, 1997
