British Military Issue Ghouli Chit Original Items

Original Item: Language translation sheets have been issued since WW2 to both British and U.S. Pilots and other military personnel that were conducting operations in hostile native regions. In WW2 US Pilots had what the USAF called “Blood Chits” sewn onto flight jackets, these were written in local languages and assured the indigenous population that a healthy reward awaited all who assisted US military personnel on the run, mostly from the Japanese.

Why Ghouli chit, you may well ask? What is stated next is absolutely true; A “Ghouli” is a British term referring to a man_s testicles. The British faced a real problem with Arab and other Middle Eastern nations, as traditionally these cultures castrated uninvited strangers (to protect their women folk, of course) so the term “GHOULI CHIT” was created. The idea was that if downed pilot could get the locals on his side, they might literally save his Ghoulis!

In short a British Ghouli Chit is a paper 16″ x 13″ printed on both sides with useful words and expressions in local dialects complete with a pronunciation guide. Different parts of the World of course required different Ghouli Chits. Sometimes these Ghouli Chits were issued on fabric, Silk or even Rayon.

IMA has been fortunate in obtaining a very small quantity of Printed Paper Ghouli Chits intended for the 1960_s insurrection that took place in Yemen, specifically Aden in the Persian/Arabian Gulf, which is still one of today’s hot beds. These offered Chits provide translations, starting “I AM A BRITISH OFFICER” etc in ARABIC, (Of Course), GERMAN (that war was over by then wasn’t it?), YIDDISH and HEBREW (Weren’t they on OUR side?). Intended to protect the carrier certainly the Ghouli Chit was much like the American Express Card: Nobody left home without it!