WW2 escape compass swinger button

This is a very neat small item!
It is a British WW2 escape compass shaped like a button.
To show how small it is, I placed a 20 eurocent coin beside it.

These compasses were shaped like the standard buttons you sometimes could finds a battledress jacket or other types British military clothing.
When attached to the clothing you would not see the 3 yellow dots that are on the back.
This are the indicators for when the button was used as a compass.

To operate the compass you had to attach a string of cord in the centre hole and put the compass.
Hanging on the cord, the compass would start to turn and the site with the single yellow dot would point to the north.

These compasses were issued to those who could be expected that they had to travel behind enemy lines.
You could think of: paratroopers, pilots, SOE members, commando’s, etc.

Markings: no maker markings

Condition: unused