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A brush with death: Deadly James Bond-style comb containing a hidden blade that was carried by a British spy behind enemy lines in World War Two is unearthed

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A deadly James Bond-style comb that contained a hidden blade and was carried by a British spy behind enemy lines in World War Two has been unearthed.

The apparently harmless-looking item was given to a Special Operations Executive agent to be used in a do-or-die situation with an enemy soldier.

The ingenious comb was designed to be quickly snapped in two in the event of an emergency to reveal a hidden saw blade.

The British SOE operative only had one chance to deploy it as the comb could not be put back together afterwards.

This is a deadly comb that contained a hidden blade and was carried by a British spy

This is a deadly comb that contained a hidden blade and was carried by a British spy

This diagram from an instruction manual shows how the blade is hidden inside of the comb

This diagram from an instruction manual shows how the blade is hidden inside of the comb

Special Operations Executive 

Formed in 1940, the Special Operations Executive was an underground army that waged a secret war in enemy-occupied Europe and Asia. 

It was mainly tasked with sabotage and subversion behind enemy lines. They had a supporter in Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who famously ordered them to 'set Europe ablaze!' 

The only women who were permitted to hold a combat role in the Second World War were enlisted in the SOE, but many were enlisted in the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry to disguise this.

The five inch black comb featured in a MI9 secret publication in 1942 which explained how it works.

Spies were given secret weapons including lethal daggers, bladed coins and concealed compasses to get them out of hairy situations.

The rare comb fetched £610 including fees at auctioneers Bosleys, of Marlow, Bucks, who say it is a rare survivor as most would have been thrown away post-war. It was consigned by a private collector.

Auctioneer Bernard Pass said: 'This illustrates the ingenuity and thought that went into helping British PoWs which also let them know they had not been forgotten and by escaping could tie up German troops looking for them and keeping them away from the front lines.

'These combs are very rare as often in the post war years when discovered they would be just thrown away, because they thought who wants a secondhand comb?'

The auctioneers also sold an 'escape and evasion' compass pencil clip, a small brass tunic pocket button whose base unscrews to reveal a compass, and a silk map with a selection of World War Two period European currency.

The overall sale raised £1,600.

Pictured is a magnet which is used to demonstrate that a blade is hidden inside the comb

Pictured is a magnet which is used to demonstrate that a blade is hidden inside the comb

The black comb featured in a MI9 secret publication in 1942 which explains how it works

The black comb featured in a MI9 secret publication in 1942 which explains how it works

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