Information on period pilot maps
 

Hello everyone,

We're currently planning for all sorts of goodies to include in the box. We thought it would be very cool to do a cloth or silk map of our battle area, but then we realized we know very little about how those maps were actually made.

I'm sure somebody could help us out with this.

What exact material were the common pilot maps printed out for RAF and Luftwaffe in 1940?

Any more details on the printing process would be great. I know next to nothing about printing, so I'm not even sure what questions to ask, but we'd like this map to be as authentic as possible. Every detail helps.


GIANT DISCLAIMER. This is NOT confirmed for anything. We're just trying to figure out IF we can do this, and to know for sure, we need to know what exactly the printing process would entail.

Thanks very much in advance!

The fact that you are discussing what to put in a deluxe box makes me very happy ;)

Googling a bit I found this page (http://www.snyderstreasures.com/pages/bloodchits.htm) with a bunch of maps in the bottom... Seems like silk and rayon where the most common choice to print maps like this on, but I bet someone will know all (and more) about BoB era aerial maps here ;)

I'll see if my Grandfather still has any tomorrow, seem to recall him having a silk one that could be easily hidden in case of getting shot down behind enemy lines.

Something to start with:

http://www.usmbooks.com/luftwaffe_map.html

http://www.usmbooks.com/luftwaffe_pilot_map.html

I have not seen pilots maps from the period but worked with old maps dating back to the 19th Century when I was younger and employed by the New South Wales Crown Lands Office.

The maps I used were printed on paper and took several forms:

1. plain folded paper maps
2. paper maps glued to boards (not suited to flying clearly)
3. linen backed paper maps, the maps were glued to linen. The linen backing was cut into squares about A4 in size before attaching allowing the maps to fold along the gaps between the linen.
4. folded paper maps with a waxy surface for waterproofing
5. Survey plans drawn directly on starched linen.



Surely someone can just ask a veteran ?

BTW I have some partial copies of German maps of South East England from 1940 in an older book I can link up if they are any use.

Not excactly what you want but I thought it might help:


http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/4...onp1000736.jpg

Higher res one available if needed. Displayed at the Tangmere museum, probably they know more?!

1943 Escape map.

Silk maps were common for escape maps but much less likely to have been used as a general pilots map.

The escape maps were interesting. Aside from maps in tunic linings, there were playing cards with maps inside when soaked in water, gramophone records with silk escape maps sandwiched inside them, brass uniform buttons containing a concealed compass, escape boots that had a wire saw in the boot laces and a compass in the heal.

However I am pretty sure all of the escape maps, silk or otherwise, date from a much LATER period of the war than the Battle of Britain.

Luthier check your PM plz

:)

I don't know what resolution you need, I presume very high. I'll post these though:

http://www.blitzandpeaces.co.uk/Muse...CAPE%20MAP.JPG

Edit: Normandy invasion map:


Parts...

http://snyderstreasures.com/images/u...apNormandy.jpg

http://snyderstreasures.com/images/u...MapHolland.jpg

http://snyderstreasures.com/images/u...yCMapDover.jpg

http://snyderstreasures.com/images/u...DayCMapKey.jpg

Total:

http://snyderstreasures.com/images/u...DDayCMapOA.jpg