Escape map scarves were one of many innovative gadget inventions for the allied forces in the Second World War developed under the supervision of Christopher Clayton Hutton, who was himself a former pilot in the First World War. Known as “escape and evasion maps,” they were created specifically for pilots who would be flying over enemy warzones. Silk/rayon was an ingenious choice, the scarf could be tied around the neck and concealed so that if the pilot needed to land they would have a silent, tear, and waterproof map of the territory including occupied and free areas, roads, railway lines, crossing points, and a scale.