Christopher Hutton
Christopher William Clayton Hutton (1893–1965) a soldier, airman, journalist and inventor, was recruited as an intelligence officer to work for MI9, a branch of the British Military Intelligence, during the Second World War. Known as 'Clutty' to his friends, he was engaged towards the end of 1939 by the War Office to work under Major (later Brigadier) Norman Crockatt, in order to set up and run operations to create and distribute escape and evasion aids for Allied servicemen. Hutton's small team identified suitable manufacturers, ensured supplies and devised methods by which the concealed aids could be sent to prisoner of war camps.
Christopher Hutton
Hutton is credited with the re-invention of the use of silk for an Escape and evasion map. He considered maps to be "the escaper's most important accessory" that should be issued to all flyers. Evidently cloth maps as an escape aid were not a completely new idea. Hutton's idea was that every serviceman should be issued with a compact map as one of three essential escape aids against the eventuality of being captured or shot down behind enemy lines. Hence he could attempt to evade capture or escape from detention. Hutton was surprised to discover that a man called Wallace Ellison, with whom he was acquainted, was not only a silk manufacturer in Macclesfield, but was also the author of a book on prisoners and prison escapes in WWI Germany. As they talked about the objective and the difficulties of silk map production, Ellison became enthusiastic, and was soon providing considerable practical assistance.