Celebes [WWII Escape Map]

Australian evasion chart of the island of Sulawesi.

This practical WWII map presents the Indonesian island of Celebes (Sulawesi), in addition to several adjacent areas via insets – Soemba (Sumba), Flores (East Nusa Tenggara), and the Soela Islands (Taliabu, Mangoli, and Sulabes). Settlements, prominent geographic features, and military installations are labeled throughout. Marshy lowlands are depicted pictorially while mountainous areas are colored (approximately) with brown ink.

The map was created by the Royal Australian Air Force in 1944 for use by Allied pilots, aircrews, and even prisoners of war who may find themselves in the Japanese-occupied Dutch East Indies. It was one of a relative few ‘escape’ maps prepared by the R.A.A.F. (most were issued by the U.S. or British). The cloth format (silk, in this case), allowed for convenient storage, quiet usage, easy disposal, and protection against the elements.

Sources: Australian War Memorial; Bodlien Library; Victorian Collections;