When my father was setting-up the
International Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol School (ILRRP or 'illerp') at
the Fallschrimspringer
barracks in Neuhausen ob Eck, South-Western Germany, he happened upon a stash
of unused silk escape maps (at Ron Silverman's
in London - I think?), and bought them to present to successful students
(including Bundeswher members) at the ends of the various courses, as
little prizes/keepsakes of Escape & Evation (E&E or EE).
I'm not sure how many designs there were, I
think I have ended-up with over a dozen different ones (they tended to be
presented to my brother and I more frequently! But when you're only twelve and
you've just climbed the Zugspitz with the HAC I think you're
ready for the odd freebie!), and they come (came!) in three versions, some are
almost 'raw' parachute silk, like home-made, war-time knickers, very silky and
shiny, then there is an intermediate type which is slightly papery, possibly a
cotton-mix (?), the final type, is this type which is a chalky, stiff,
coated/treated silk, with a yellowish tinge, yet - as you can see - still thin
enough for the two sides to show through.
Some of the maps, particularly these chalky
ones have post war dates (a nice Middle-East map including the Gulf of Hormouz
is dated to 1949 or the early 1950's), but this one in an earlier one, and
clearly meant for aircrews flying north into the cold of the Arctic Circle
(which is marked on the map - so, if you survive the loss of your aircraft, you
know why you're so fucking cold!), looking to make their way to the western
coasts to try and steal a vessel and get back to Blighty?
Now - the perceived wisdom is that these
were sewn into jackets or greatcoats, but I can hardly see the RAF having
everyone's linings re-sewn for every new mission/geographical destination, so I
assume you were issued them prior to missions under certain circumstances
(expected high-loss missions?), or that plane's commanders (or navigators?)
received one, or something, and that the hiding of them was down to the
ingenuity of the holder?
The purpose of the silk is not its sew-able'ness,
but to prevent the details being lost if held next to the skin, but that might
mean hiding it in boots, underwear or armpits, where a paper map would A) get
damp and rub-away to little wormy pieces, or B) be bloody uncomfortable!
I think they were sewn into some clothing
supplied to POW's through the Red Cross,
but that was a risky thing and you'd need the relevant maps to end up in the
right Stalag, you wouldn't want this map ending up with prisoners
held in Italy for instance!
We all know how the Soviets and the Nazis
split Poland, while those who do the history 'thing' are familiar with the
Finish campaign, but the international boundary-adjustments to this map make it
clear that Russia helped itself to anything it fancied prior to the 'Great
Patriotic War'!
It's funny, but a certain type of
less-educated, 'patriotic' type of British, American or Russian citizen (patriotism is the last refuge of a
scoundrel!) struggles to understand why they or their country are hated
elsewhere in the world (or the neighbourhood), but a little study of their
history; British Imperialism, Soviet Expansion or American Hegemony, would
explain all!
One hopes that when we finally come out of
Covid-19's shadows (18-months hence?) there may be the 'great levelling' being
talked of, or talked-up . . . but I doubt it, I still see war coming, another
repeat of history - how boring!
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