Escape compass to wear around neck

Place Europe
Accession Number REL/18568.003
Collection type Heraldry
Object type Personal Equipment
Physical description Plastic; Glass; Cotton; Metal
Maker Unknown
Date made c 1942-1945
Conflict Second World War, 1939-1945
Description

Small round floating compass sealed in a yellow plastic pouch. Threaded through the top is a blue cotton tape tied with a knot. This tape is 380 mm in length.

History / Summary

Small rotor compasses were sealed in clear plastic pouches, or ’ bubbles’ to protect them from humidity in the tropics. The compasses in the small round ‘bubbles’ were usually contained in escape and evasion kits. Others were placed in larger pouches which had cotton tape threaded through the top so the compass could be worn around the neck during operations.