North Vietnamese Viet Cong Officer's Soviet Made Wrist Compass

In the North Vietnamese Army few were issued compasses. Even fewer were issued in the Viet Cong. As a result compasses are a bit hard to find and were a highly prized souvenir. This was true because, like in most armies, the average NVA soldier could not do land navigation and could not read a map. They were not trained to do so. Instead, the primary mode of land navigation for most North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong troops was being lead by a guide from station to station. Only Officers and senior NCOs had the training and need to carry a compass. Like pistols, map cases and binoculars, the compass was a status symbol. There was a folding polished stainless steel mirror used to observe a back azimuth inside each compass. Compasses were also issued to those with special skills such as mortar men, engineers, scouts and snipers. Whether a ChiCom Type 62, Soviet or Warsaw Pact, no NVA VC collection is complete without a compass.