Atlas Antiques

For sale is an exceptionally rare WW2 Gentleman’s Wash Kit SOE Escape Evade Concealed puncture device Smoking Pipe & Compass shaving Brush. Which are concealed as every day wartime items. Within this gentleman’s wash/ vanity kit is a wartime bakelite Gillette razor with the original blades and bakelite case, a wartime shaving brush with concealed compass, a compass 2843/23 marked concealed smoking pipe, original tooth brush and chrome plated toothbrush tin, bakelite & chrome plated cylinder tubs that hold the shaving brush and hold the original shaving soap, also are a complete pack of wartime “pro pax” pain relief tablets (9 tablets), a small hand clothes brush, one sided mirror, the Bedford nail file and the leather vanity kit case marked with the officers initials J.E in a gilt lettering. 

Some more details about the SOE Escape & Evade items within this kit:

Smoking pipe:

The smoking pipe works as a smoking pipe but has a concealed puncture device which is attached to the mouth piece of the pipe. The pipe is marked “compass 2844/23”. This would have been used to puncture enemy vehicle pipes and cause espionage behind enemy lines. 

Shaving brush: 

The British WW2 RAF SOE Escape And Evade Shaving Brush Hidden Compass with a Bakelite Bottom manufactured by sterilised Culmak Junior Woodbridge England. This is an original period and war issue item, the shaving brush is made from bakelite with a false screw bottom and squirrel tail brush. 

The Special Operations Executive (SOE) was a secret British World War II organisation. It was officially formed on 22 July 1940 under Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton, from the amalgamation of three existing secret organisations. Its purpose was to conduct espionage, sabotage and reconnaissance in occupied Europe (and later, also in occupied Southeast Asia) against the Axis powers, and to aid local resistance movements. Items like compass buttons, board games with hidden saws compasses and tools in, pens with compasses and shaving brushes with compasses were made for aircrew, paratroopers and raf pilots so that in the case of there plane going down they could get them back home as safely as possible, they were also given to the Red Cross and put in relief parcels for British soldiers in prisoner of war camps which would give them ease of escape.

This is an exceptionally rare kit, with two SOE Escape & Evade items concealed within this set. Guaranteed original or money back. These will be sent via special delivery, insured, and dispatched within 2-3 working days.