Earlier this month, we went to the Lake District on holiday. While there, we visited the pencil museum in Keswick. It’s more interesting than you might expect, but one set of exhibits in particular caught my eye. These were about special pencils made during the Second World War for MI6 (responsible for foreign intelligence), MI9 (escape and evasion), and the Special Operations Executive (SOE, espionage behind enemy lines).

Charles Fraser-Smith

Charles Fraser-Smith had the job of securing specialised equipment and gadgets for MI6, MI9, and SOE. His cover story was that he worked in the Ministry of Supply’s Clothing and Textile Department. When one of the organisations requested something (e.g. a compass hidden in a button), he would contact a manufacturer of that type of equipment, then work with them to create the specialised version. He contacted the Cumberland Pencil Co. in 1942, because he’d had a request for pencils containing a hidden map and compass. Pencils are a very mundane item, and aircrew carried them as part of their navigation equipment, so they would not arouse suspicion.

Fraser-Smith had compasses made that were small enough to fit in a standard pencil, and maps printed on specially created fine tissue that would not rustle. The map was tightly rolled up around a thin wire, then tied in place. Maps and compasses were supplied to the company’s management in strict secrecy. Most of the people working at the factory had no idea about this unusual project.

Making the pencils

The technical manager, Mr Fred Tee, was given the task of working out how to hide the maps and compasses. Crucially, it had to be done in secret. The factory workers and the local population had to remain unaware of the special pencils.

Because of the great need for secrecy, it was decided to modify finished pencils, rather than add a hiding place during production. Each evening, a few managers would return to the factory after it had closed. They would take a box of completed pencils, remove the ferrule and rubber, and drill a hole from the top. A few centimetres of lead were left in place, so that it would still function as a standard pencil. They then inserted the map, added the compass, and replaced the ferrule and rubber.

One of the maps used in the pencils

Four different maps were printed. One had a general map of Germany, and the others had escape routes marked to the Netherlands, Belgium, and Switzerland. The pencils were marked with the numbers 101, 102, 103, or 104 to identify the map contained.

The modern copy

The modern factory makes and sells a facsimile of the escape pencil, supplied in a special case. When they decided to make these, they first tried to recreate the original method used during the Second World War.

However, when they drilled into the pencil they found it created a tremendous mess, with graphite going everywhere. So instead, they opted to create the map compartment during manufacture, while the pencil is still in two parts. It’s impossible to keep the process secret this way, but that’s no longer a concern.

If you’re ever near Keswick, I recommend a visit to the museum. The escape pencils aren’t the only interesting exhibit. I’m a little frustrated that I didn’t discover all this before I wrote Setting Europe Ablaze, but only a little. There is always more to learn, and learning can happen in unexpected places.