Evasion and Escape Devices Produced by MI9, MIS-X, and SOE in World War II

BOOK OF THE MONTHEVASION & ESCAPE DEVICESProduced by MI9, MIS-X and SOE in World War IIPhil FroomPublisher: Schiffer Military History[...]ISBN: 978 0 7643 4839 6Hardback: 384 pagesRRP: $69.99 (USD)The quality and content of books produced in the famed Schiffer Military History series is positively beyond compare in terms of the standard of production and the undoubted knowledge and capability of Schiffer’s specialist authors – particularly in what are often rather niche interest areas. More often than not with Schiffer’s specialist books, the topics covered reflect a life’s interest and study by the author, with that dedication having frequently added a great deal of detail to specific areas of military history that might otherwise have been lost. Nevertheless, and despite the ‘niche’ subject matter of this book, the scale and depth of what is covered in this title makes this, undoubtedly, the veritable and absolute last-word on the subject. Never before has such a wealth of material been brought together on this topic in one single volume and this will consequently be a book that is a sought-after source of reference for both researchers, militaria traders and collectors as well as those interested in the escape and evasion of allied airmen across the decades. Doubtless it will also be a ‘must-have’ for the reference libraries of most military museums around the world, and particularly those with an aviation specialism. In his magnum opus, author Phil Froom has expertly presented the detailed history of the evolution of escape and evasion equipment in use by Allied troops during the Second World War and following the fall of mainland Europe hostile action against the enemy were largely conducted in the form of air attacks. As a consequence of this, considerable numbers of Allied airmen were downed over Occupied Europe and a decision was taken to equip fliers with all manner of equipment to aid their evasion. Additionally, elaborate plans were laid to smuggle escape equipment to POWs, hidden inside such innocuous items as shaving kits, board games and even gramophone records etc. The lead in producing and supplying this equipment was taken by Britain’s MI9 and the US organisation, MIS-X. Much of the equipment was breath-taking in its simplicity and in the covert concealment of the various items in question and, as a result of the issue of such equipment, thousands of airmen were able to evade capture or else were aided in their attempts to escape from POW camps. Phil Froom’s study presents a concise history of how these items evolved and were developed and he provides us with a lavishly and beautifully illustrated book depicting just about every escape aid that was ever produced – and there were certainly very many hundreds of them! Apart from obvious escape and evasion objects such as maps and compasses, less obvious pieces of equipment like a snakebite lancet with potassium permanganate capsule for operations over jungle terrain or a multi-tool knife, can opener and magnifying glass for starting fires are amongst the fascinating objects described in minute detail. Of all the pieces of secret equipment, perhaps the simplest was the fly-button compass. This allowed one apparently innocent metal fly button to be balanced on top of another, the magnetised top button rotating on the lower one and having north and south compass points marked on them. Often, devices like the fly button were hidden in plain sight – like the RAF escape boots which were standard flying boots which allowed the upper portions to be removed thus leaving a black leather shoe which would not give away the escapee as an airman! Similarly, ‘replacement’ RAF tunics were sent into POW camps that were fully reversible and could be turned inside-out to become ‘civilian’ jackets. Other RAF tunics were made in such a way that they resembled Luftwaffe tunics – right down to the exact colour and type of material used. By simply removing the British badges and emblems, and replacing them with German ones, the wearer could pass easily as a Luftwaffe officer. Such was the subterfuge and cunning of those at MI9 and MIS-X who were, literally, escape artists! The author has certainly produced a truly wonderful book. Slightly quirky and ‘niche’, perhaps, but a truly amazing work of art in its own right and certainly an extremely valuable addition to our knowledge of a little-known aspect of Second World War Allied air operations. In every respect, this is certainly a heavyweight book and Britain at War certainly has no hesitation in putting this forward as Book of the Month. Indeed, if we ran a Book of the Year then this would be up there as a prominent contender.REVIEWED BY ANDY SAUNDERSIllustrations YesReferences/Notes YesAppedices YesIndex Yes

I collected World War II escape and evasion devices for 40 years before Phil wrote his book. Had I only known them, what I know now! I was blown away at the material Phil was able to pull together in his book. The amazing photos and text paint a picture of the ingenuity and creativity of the MI9 craftsman... Clayton Hutton and all of the specialists working on clandestine compasses, escape maps, and water containers... , this book is a treasure. The layout and the design makes it a visual treat. There is no better book on the topic and I recommend it without hesitation. It should be a central part of your library if you’re serious about the topic. I purchased two copies just to make certain that I had a spare!

A very detailed history of WWII and prison camp materials smuggled to prisoners. More a picture book than a documentary .

If you are looking for a book on WWII escape and evasion (E&E) aids this is the book to own. It has great information, supportive graphics, and it provides an organized in-depth background of how these devices came to be. I have been purchasing the books and collecting the items for years, this book has it all. A must own for anyone interested in WWII E&E!

Excellent reference material...book binding quality not exceptional!

Wow. Very comprehensive, well illustrated. Appears to be expertly and thoroughly researched. Interesting read. Highly recommended.

Bought this for my husband and he loves it! Very detailed and authoritative.

Overall, the book had lots of detail about the development and production of these very clever devices.I was disappointed that quite few photos and text blocks were used more than once. I think that the book could have been shorter and still cover the subject.I was also surprised that in the map section, nothing was mentioned about correcting the purposeful errors that cartographers had placed in their maps (to protect their work). I had read that in anther book about WWII POW camps and the efforts to help soldiers escape.

This is a fascinating book, describing the types of escape and evasion devices used in WW2. I enjoyed reading about the sheer ingenuity and resource of both manufacturers and POWs. As an electronics enthusiast I would have welcomed some circuit diagrams of the various radios supplied to the POWs.It is well produced, but oh dear - what a pity that it would appear that proof-reading was skimped. Typos are frequent, and there are many grammatical infelicities. Punctuation is hit and miss throughout. The publishers are based in America, which may be why there is a mix of British and American spelling. "Straight" is spelled "strait" throughout.There is surely no excuse for errors of fact in the text. There are x - ray photographs of two cribbage boards incorporating concealed crystal radio sets (with a very ingenious way of connecting to aerial, ground, and earpieces). The text refers to "these particular radios also had ... long-life batteries incorporated into their design ..." Crystal sets do not use external power supplies.Another textural inaccuracy which should have been corrected is that referring to "a money purse ... containing 980 Yuan in Chinese 100 Yuan notes"In the section on board games, some Monopoly sets had various maps incorporated. There was a code to identify the type of map - for example, a full stop after the name "Marylebone Station" indicated an Italian map; one after "Free Parking" indicated France and Germany, and one after "Electric Company" indicated that there was a hidden compass. The text suggests that a game bearing full stops after Marylebone and Free Parking indicates a map of Italy and a compass.The main person behind most of the devices was Major C W C Hutton, who died in 1965. A photograph of his gravestone shows his age at death as 71, while on the same page his age is quoted as 72.All in all, a very good book, but spoilt by a lack of attention to publishing detail.

great book anyone interested in escape and evasion would love this read and photos of equipment and gagets invented in ww2dare l say the backroom boys and unsung heroes hoped this would help individuals behind enemy lines and also save livesin occupied territory to fight another day.

A beautifully illustrated and thoroughly researched book on the intriguing escape aids and maps produced by MI9 in the Second World War.

An amazingly comprehensive study of concealed escape equipment, extremely thorough, and a really fascinating read, with lots of great photographs. Thoroughly recommended!

Very interesting and much pictures.