WW2 American Miniature Escape Compass - Waltham

Most escape kit was of British design and manufacture, including the compasses, but they were issued to British and Americans alike. The Americans did make an escape compass of their own, which is less common than the British types. It is different in that it is noticeably larger in diameter 0.73' (18,5 mm) and in that is has a printed compass card with the four compass directions. The advantage of this would have been that there could be no doubt about what indicated North. It has a white line running across the lense, serving the same purpose as the hairline on a normal field compass. The compass is 0.24' (6 mm) high. This design continued to be manufactured by Waltham after the war with provisions for either a wrist strap or a lanyard.