British troops used James Bond-like gadgets during WWII

London: An intelligence officer for British secret department M19 has come up with a catalogue that shows how troops used James Bond-like gadgets during the Second World War to outwit the enemy.

The 79-page catalogue, designed by inventor Christopher Clayton-Hutton, offers a fascinating insight into the inventive methods British soldiers used during the war, the Daily Mail reported.

Top secret gadgets British prisoners of war used to fool the enemy include gold teeth containing hidden compasses, cameras disguised as cigarette lighters and hidden hacksaws.

Top secret gadgets British prisoners of war used to fool the enemy include gold teeth containing hidden compasses, cameras disguised as cigarette lighters and hidden hacksaws.

The M19 department also provided maps printed on silk with non-running ink. These could be hidden in a pack of cards or a chess piece.

About 400,000 of these maps were printed during the war and 17,000 troops used them.

Called "Per Ardua Libertas", meaning "Liberty Through Adversity", the catalogue was designed in 1942 for US intelligence officers keen to know the M19's secret techniques.

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