British WW2 Escape compass ‘pill box’ type as issued to allied pilots, paratroopers, commandos, the regular army and SOE agents as part of escape and evasion kits.

British WW2 Escape compass ‘pill box’ type as issued to allied pilots, paratroopers, commandos, the regular army and SOE agents as part of escape and evasion kits.

British WW2 Escape compass ‘pill box’ type with bevelled glass lens.

Condition: Good condition

This is the most common model. Together with escape maps, a hacksaw blade and phrase cards, they were packed in a rubberized canvas map pouch. Soldiers also called it the ‘asshole compass’ because it was so small, you could hide it anywhere… It is cylindrical in shape and consists of a brass shell, 0.60” (15,24 mm) in diameter x 0.19” (4,9 mm) high, with a wall thickness of 0.015” (0,38 mm). The blackened compass card is a non-ferromagnetic material balanced on a brass pivot and encased beneath a swaged-in 0.030” (0,76 mm) thick glass cover. The seal between the glass and the shell is hermetic to prevent the entry and/or entrapment of moisture in the compass chamber. The compass card has points at each corner and at the middle of each edge: eight points in all, set at 45 degree intervals. North is designated by a white dot lined up between a corner of the card and its centre. A pair of white dots are located on the opposite corner. The dots have been coated with a luminous material, which has depleted due to age. The compass card turns freely on its pivot. A small magnet secured to the underside of the card aligns the card with the North Magnetic Pole.