WWII Escape Buttons
 

I am relatively new to the forum, but have seen a few threads on WWII Escape buttons. I am a collector of such items, so if it's permitted to canvass for items, I'd always be interested in items for sale...

But my reason for posting, is to ask any members who collect, or have come across E&E buttons, or have friends who collect, what types of buttons have they come across - I mean as in different Regiments and Corps, since there are no surviving records of this.

To date and in over 12 years of collecting, I have seen only One individual Regimental button (Royal Berkshire Regiment). But below is a list of what buttons I know of, but I'd really like to hear from members with any validated types beyond these - all the better with a photo:

Royal Artillery
Reconnaissance Corps
General Service button
Royal Air Force
RNZAF
RCAF
Polish Air Force
USAAF
Australian Armed Forces
New Zealand Armed Forces
British Staff Officer's button
Royal Navy
Royal Marines

So please reply with any types of buttons which you hav verified beyond those above, as I'd love to try to build a definitive list - as best we can this long after their production and use...

Many thanks everyone
Phil

Hello Phil, welcome to the Forum. Your account is active and open for posts.

A fascinating list. I originally thought it was only airforces who would carry these. The biggest problem is that because they were not meant to be easily seen if captured they are very difficult to find unless the owner tells you which one it is! I have been all through my father's RAF buttons and not found one although he assured me there was one there somewhere! I do have the two-flybutton version; This could have been worn by not only the RAF?
Charlie

I have to say I do agree with Charlie in that it is not easy to find these buttons and, as he says, it was not supposed to be! I have tried untold numbers of RAF buttons and never found a single compass button.

I am amazed at the number of different types that have appeared on ebay in recent years and I wonder how they have all been found, especially those within non-RAF buttons. I doubt if all have been passed on with a note saying 'compass within'! In fact I was beginning to think that someone was faking them as so many were appearing!

So, let me ask, is there an easy way of determining which button has a compass in? Or is it a job for an x-ray machine?

Roger

Hi Phil,

Welcome to the forum.

You may have already seen this one somewhere but here is an RAF example I once owned.

Cheerio and good luck..!

Roy

RAF Button
 

Roy,
Thanks for posting that button. A really nice 'honest, looking RAF button.

Regards
Phil

Roy, do you have a photo of the back of the button ie where the maker's name lurks? Excellent photos by the way.

Presumably said button is a little bit heavier? Has anybody weighed them?

There is documentation about RAF escape aids but is there anything about the others? Did they all come under MI9?

Charlie

I did see these 4 reverses on the web
Attachment 168378 Attachment 168379Attachment 168380 Attachment 168381

Fly button compasses
 

Hello Charlie,
like many escape buttons, the fly buttons were used by many different organisations. Also, since MI9 in U.K. supplies all US Forces in Britain with their escape kit - and fly button compasses appear a lot from US sources, it looks like USAAF (at least) used them too...

Regards
Phil

Hello Roger,
I truly wish I had a foolproof plan for detecting escape buttons - but I don't. To be honest, with the exception of the US Hamilton Aero escape buttons, which are almost childlike in design compared to those from MI9, there is no Visible way of spotting them... Actually with perhaps one exception, which even then may not Prove an escape button, but without this feature, may well Disprove one...

This is that almost (if not All) my escape buttons have a soldered uniform ring/eye, firmly fixing it in place. As if they did not, the eye would twist out of the button when a user tried to unscrew the button...

Remember too, that escape buttons unscrew both clockwise and anti-clockwise, as after discovery by the Germans, MI9 reversed the thread direction... see pages 112 to 120 of my book for more details if your library holds it?

Best regards
Phil

MI9 reversed the thread direction...

Ah. so I may have been tightening them so much I now can't undo them! Is there a date for this?

The button is probably slightly thicker at the back? But the solder clue is useful. Thanks

Charlie

Hi Charlie,

I checked my records and cannot find a photo of the back, sorry about that. I'm sure I took a photo at the time but can't seem to find it. If I stumble across it I will be sure to post.

Cheerio,

Roy

Charlie,

I haven't yet found any of my photos of the RAF button but thought you would like to see some pics of a US example I also used to own.

Cheerio,

Roy

See attached a variety of buttons for interest.
Phil

Thanks to all of you who have provided so much information.

It looks as if, like Charlie, I may have been trying to undo at least some of these buttons the wrong way! Goodness knows how many I may have missed because of this - probably none to be honest!

Interesting hint about the fixed shank, something to look out for in future, although I doubt I will be lucky enough to find one of these fascinating buttons.

Presumably the aircrew and so on who used these knew which button on their uniform was the 'escape button'. I'm guessing it would have been something like the second button from the top otherwise they would have wasted a lot of time taking off a lot of buttons and testing each one!

Roger