A.A.F. CLOTH MAP ASIATIC SERIES: No. C 43 & C 44. No. C 43 MINDANAO ISLAND [And]

Washington D.C. 1944, Army Map Service, U.S. Army. Silk map folds down to be ca. 8.5 x 13.5 cm., opens up to ca. 95 x 52 cm., color printed, flawless, bright and superb copy, as new condition, directional magnetic compass, 12 maps in all. . . *** *** *** . . ORIGINAL WORLD WAR 2 SURVIVAL & EVASION MAP . * A.A.F.= Army Air Force. This silk cloth has two maps, one per side. The first map shows Mindanao, Basilan Island, at the top, the lower tip of Negros, Siquijor as well as the Camigiun Islands & at the bottom or South end Jolo Island, with an index inset showing a larger area map, with this map located in the big picture. There is also an inset of a close-up of Mindanao, Siargao and Panaon Islands. . * The back side shows at the top, the Southern part of Balbac Island, and a good part of North Borneo, down to Sibuko Bay, the Tawitawi Group & the Jolo Island group to the extreme East. The Sulu Archipelago is at the lower right corner, with an inset index to the larger area of the South China Sea. With an Annual Magnetic Change compass, scale in miles, kilometers, nautical miles [1:1,000,000], legend or key to symbols, roads, towns, cities, rivers, mountains and an index to the boundaries. . * USED BY THE FLYING TIGERS: This map and many similar to it were part of the items issued to FLYING TIGER pilots and A.V.G. [AMERICAN VOLUNTEER GROUP pilots. They were often tied around the neck to keep them warm while flying. . * This map was part of the U.S. Army Air Force and Naval flyers "E & E" survival kit [Escape & Evasion], printed on silk parachute cloth. These maps were often worn by fighter and other air crew members as scarves to insure they would be with the downed airman if/when his plane or he had to parachute out into the sea or over land. . * Each air crew member carried among other survival supplies, a .38 caliber pistol, survival knife, a signal mirror [stainless steel or glass], compass & some basic food rations, fishing kit, water purification tablets, along with minor medical supplies; the whole kit was tucked into the pant pocket of the flight suit. The mass majority of these maps have perished during World War II & few if any others survived the attrition rate of war, time & climate prevented many from ever being brought back home. This map and others like it were issued to all fight crews in the Pacific war against Japan, to insure that downed fliers had some chance to navigate their way back to friendly forces. . * .