As many of you know I have long been fascinated by the History of Textiles - having taught this for many years and using old textiles in my art work. Today, for my birthday my dear husband Trevor has given me a lovely present of something I have wanted in my textile collection for many a year. He tracked it down on an auction site and in the post today came this wonderful Silk Escape Map.
This one is from the Cold War era around the early 50's and shows Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia and Austria. The reverse depicts Austria, Poland and Hungary. It would have been used by RAF and SAS service men and women.
Escape maps were used by the Allied Forces in WW2 and the Cold War when they needed to find their way home ! from behind enemy lines. They were sewn into clothing and being silk were strong and durable- and didn't disintegrate as a paper map would do.
Beautifully printed and issued by the War Office, these really were a useful textile item.
It begs the question of how many silk escape maps were made into knickers by forces wives and girlfriends !!!!!
I might just frame mine !!!
