Record revealed
Japanese Instrument of Surrender, 1945
After six years of brutal global conflict, this document marked the end of the Second World War.
Series
War Office: Military Intelligence section 9 (MI9), Escape and Evasion maps, Second...
Catalogue reference: WO 418
What's it about?
WO 418
The material represents the UK Ministry of Defence's record set of escape and evasion maps produced by MI9 between 1940 and 1945. The set is the most comprehensive collection of MI9 maps known to exist but in itself is incomplete and copies have...
Full description and record details
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Reference (The unique identifier to the record described, used to order and refer to it)
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WO 418
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Title (The name of the record)
- War Office: Military Intelligence section 9 (MI9), Escape and Evasion maps, Second World War
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Date (When the record was created)
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1940-1982
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Description (What the record is about)
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The material represents the UK Ministry of Defence's record set of escape and evasion maps produced by MI9 between 1940 and 1945. The set is the most comprehensive collection of MI9 maps known to exist but in itself is incomplete and copies have been found in the collections of six other institutions and a number of private collections. The set includes sheets from the following MI9 map collections:
- a. Bartholomew derivatives: a set of escape and evasion maps based on maps produced by John Bartholomew and Son Ltd and maps with similar numbering system.
- b. GSGS 3982 1:500000 Europe (air): escape and evasion versions of the Europe air 1:250000 map series reduced in scale.
- c. GSGS 4090: Norway 1:100000 scale maps over an area north of Oslo and adjacent to the Swedish border.
- d. 43: A group of escape and evasion maps with numbering prefixed with 43 and based on the existing maps of international map of the world (IMW) of the European area.
- e. 44: A group of escape and evasion maps with numbering prefixed with 44 and based on the existing maps of IMW of the far east area.
- f. FGS: group with numbering prefixed with FGS (potentially meaning to Finland, Germany and Scandinavia, but not confirmed) and based on the existing maps of IMW in northern Europe.
- g. Miscellaneous: maps of no known map series designation but produced for operational purposes.
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Related material (A cross-reference to other related records)
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See also WO 78/5814 MF 1/2
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Held by (Who holds the record)
- The National Archives, Kew
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Legal status (A note as to whether the record being described is a Public Record or not)
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Public Record(s)
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Language (The language of the record)
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English
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Creator(s) (The creator of the record)
- War Office, Directorate of Military Intelligence, 1939-1964
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Physical description (The amount and form of the record)
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122 flat sheet(s)
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Access conditions (Information on conditions that restrict or affect access to the record)
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Open
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Immediate source of acquisition (When and where the record was acquired from)
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in 2018 Ministry of Defence, Defence Geographic Centre
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Subjects (Categories and themes found in our collection (our subject list is under development, and some records may have no subjects or fewer than expected))
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Accumulation dates (The dates the record was accumulated)
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1940-1945
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Accruals (Indicates whether the archive expects to receive further records in future)
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Series is not accruing
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Selection and destruction information (Information about how the record was selected for archiving)
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All maps selected
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Administrative / biographical background (Historical or biographical information about the creator of the record and the context of its creation)
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MI9 was established on 23 December 1939 as a new branch of British intelligence to provide escape and evasion support, and to facilitate the return of British prisoners of war and others who evaded capture. MI9 Section Z was responsible for the production and supply of escape tools which included maps on fabrics and silk.
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Publication note(s) (A note of publications related to the record)
- For information about MI9's escape and evasion mapping programme, see Barbara A Bond, Great Escapes: The Story of MI9's Second World War Escape and Evasion Maps (Glasgow, 2015).
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Record URL
- https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/id/C16747711/
Catalogue hierarchy
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You are currently looking at the series: WO 418
War Office: Military Intelligence section 9 (MI9), Escape and Evasion maps, Second World War
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