Remove leeches with nicotine and make a hat out of seat cushions from your crashed plane, re-released Air Ministry guides advise

When confronted by a shark, do not be alarmed. Sharks are “cowards” and can be sent on their way with a deft punch to the nose.

As for pythons? They “make no attempt to avenge injury or offence”, and taste best when boiled.

Such was the advice issued to airmen in the 1950s by the Air Ministry, in a series of survival guides that have been re-issued by Penguin and provide an insight into a bygone era.

They cover survival scenarios in jungles, deserts, the Arctic and at sea, giving detailed advice on what to do if forced to ditch a plane or bail out over unfamiliar terrain.

The pamphlets assume that every airman travels with a supply of cigarettes. These would come in handy in the jungle, as a means of removing leeches.

“When moving through the jungle, if smoking, keep the pieces of unburnt tobacco, and wrap them up in a piece of material. When de-leeching, moisten the bag so formed, and squeeze nicotine onto the leech,” the instructions read. “By using these methods, you force the leech to withdraw its jaws from the flesh and to drop off.”

Leeches are not the only living things on the jungle floor, the guides warn. “Numerous other slugs, insects and small animal life will be found, all in some ways loathsome and unpleasant.”

However, they note that “despite all the perils and unpleasantness of the jungle, thousands of Englishmen have lived and travelled in it safely for months on end, and hundreds of them have enjoyed it and still do. With a little knowledge you can achieve safety it not enjoyment.”

The guides are similarly upbeat about the Arctic, informing readers that “many Eskimos and quite a few white people live there quite contentedly”, although several pages are devoted to warding off frostbite.

Polar bears “unless strangled or stunned are hard to kill without a gun”, and if trying to eat one it is imperative to avoid the liver as it is “poisonous at certain times of the year”.

In the jungle, reptiles make a good meal: “The smaller varieties can be toasted over a fire, but such things as snakes, eels and turtles are best boiled.”

Ocean sharks have the power to kill but should not prove troublesome. “They are cowards and can usually be frightened off by the jab of a stick, a blow struck with the fist or a knife, particularly at the nose, or by the splash of water.”

When encountering native tribes, the advice is the same regardless of the terrain. “Show friendliness, courtesy and patience… and leave the native women alone.”