Knife, for Boots, Flying, 1943 'Escape' pattern: Royal Air Force

Small metal pocket knife with folding blade. The knife is contained inside a small concealed pocket cut into the inside lining of the right boot.

Following on from the pre-war 1930 and 1936 Pattern boots that were used in the earlier period of the Second World War, a further four patterns were developed during the conflict. The 1939 pattern (22/C 225-233) was a one-piece boot with a black leather shoe and brown/khaki canvas calf section with sheepskin lining. This was the pattern worn by the majority of Royal Air Force aircrew, until the introduction of the 1940 Pattern boot (22/C 435-442). This comprised a one-piece rubber soled, brown suede sheepskin-lined boot with a zip-fastener. However the 1940 Pattern proved to be unpopular with fighter pilots: boot was so loose when worn that 'downed' pilots often found that their footwear would fall off whilst descending by parachute. As a remedy, leather ankle straps were fitted to the boots and they were redesignated the 1941 Pattern (22C/748-755). In spite of this modification the boots still remained unpopular for the same reason. The 1943 Pattern 'Escape' boots were the version produced and were based on the designs of Major Clayton Hutton at MI9, being field-tested as early as 1942. Consisting of a black leather laced walking shoe and a black zip-up suede legging, the basic principle was simple: in the event of landing in enemy territory, the wearer would separate the leggings from the shoe by using the folded pocket knife that was held in the pocket in the right boot. It was believed that the walking shoe would be less conspicuous and more comfortable than a conventional flying boot for an attempted evasion. The design remained in service with the RAF until the mid-1950s.

Worn by Warrant Officer James Cardwell during the Second World War while on operations over Europe with 226 Squadron RAF (2nd Tactical Air Force).

James Cardwell was born on 31st July 1917 in Castlewellan, County Down, Northern Ireland. Originally a baker by trade, he joined the Belfast Fire Brigade toward the beginning of the war and was on duty during the German air raids on the city in April and May 1941. Due to sectarian tensions in Belfast, which included his fire crew having rocks thrown at them while on duty, Cardwell, raised Catholic, decided to enlist in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR) in 1943. In January of the following year, Cardwell was called up for active duty and underwent training with No. 26 Operational Training Unit (OTU) at RAF Wing, Buckinghamshire followed by No. 2 Group Support Unit (GSU) at Swanton Morley, Norfolk. Cardwell qualified as an Air Gunner in January 1945 and was posted to No. 226 Squadron, which by then had become part of the 2nd Tactical Air Force, at Vitry, France. Flying in B-25 Mitchell medium bombers primarily in support of ground operations over France, the Netherlands and Germany, Cardwell completed 34 operations by May 1945. On several of these, Cardwell's B-25 was hit by flak and on one occasion they were forced to land near Brussels due to an engine fire. Cardwell's final flight on 25 May was a ferry duty, in which his crew flew BBC war correspondent Chester Wilmot to Lüneburg where he reported on the suicide of Heinrich Himmler. Cardwell, who saw Himmler's body, remarked that he 'looked as evil in death as in life'. For most of Cardwell's tour, his crew consisted of: W/O J W Bourchier (pilot), F/S W J Dring, Sgt J Cardwell and Sgt A Conventry. Following the war, Cardwell served as an Air Traffic Control Clerk at RAF Hendon, and after leaving the RAF in December 1946 worked as a fireman at Vauxhall Motors. He married his girlfriend Betty Chambers in October 1945 and had three children.