WW2 Monopoly Escape Maps

[N.O.S.]

Just been sent this - it seems plausible, but can anyone substantiate this as true?

 

 

From around 1941, an increasing number of British Airmen found themselves as the involuntary guests of the Third Reich, and the Crown was casting about for ways and means to facilitate their escape...

 

Now obviously, one of the most helpful aids to that end is a useful and accurate map, one showing not only locations, but also the locations of 'safe houses' where a POW on-the-lam could go for food and shelter.

 

Paper maps had some real drawbacks -- they make a lot of noise when you open and fold them, they wear out rapidly, and if they get wet, they turn into mush.

 

Someone in MI-5 (similar to America's OSS) got the idea of printing escape maps on silk. It's durable, can be scrunched-up into tiny wads, and unfolded as many times as needed, and makes no noise whatsoever.

 

At that time, there was only one manufacturer in Great Britain that had perfected the technology of printing on silk, and that was John Waddington, Ltd. When approached by the government, the firm was only too happy to do its bit for the war effort.

 

By pure coincidence, Waddington was also the U.K. Licensee for the popular American board game, Monopoly. As it happened, 'games and pastimes' was a category of item qualified for insertion into 'CARE packages', dispatched by the International Red Cross to prisoners of war.

 

Under the strictest of secrecy, in a securely guarded and inaccessible old workshop on the grounds of Waddington's, a group of sworn-to-secrecy employees began mass-producing escape maps, keyed to each region of Germany or Italy where Allied POW camps were regional system).

When processed, these maps could be folded into such tiny dots that they would actually fit inside a Monopoly playing piece.

 

As long as they were at it, the clever workmen at Waddington's also managed to add:

1. A playing token, containing a small magnetic compass

2. A two-part metal file that could easily be screwed together

3. Useful amounts of genuine high-denomination German, Italian, and French currency, hidden within the piles of Monopoly money!

 

British and American air crews were advised, before taking off on their first mission, how to identify a 'rigged' Monopoly set -- by means of a tiny red dot, one cleverly rigged to look like an ordinary printing glitch, located in the corner of the Free Parking square.

 

Of the estimated 35,000 Allied POWS who successfully escaped, an estimated one-third were aided in their flight by the rigged Monopoly sets. Everyone who did so was sworn to secrecy indefinitely, since the British Government might want to use this highly successful ruse in still another, future war.

 

The story wasn't declassified until 2007, when the surviving craftsmen from Waddington's, as well as the firm itself, were finally honoured in a public ceremony.

 

It's always nice when you can play that 'Get Out of Jail' Free' card!

[Tony B]

Yes completly true. Also the old wax records had maps and paperwork hidden inside them. There was a whole special works department based at the Natural History Museum devising various gadgets for SOE and MI9 the escape organisation. A lot of people from Pinewood and Shepperton studios wer eemployed, set makers and model makers. Also conjouers and stage magicians, escapologists etc were consulted. Pickpockets, card sharps, forgers, those convicted of frauds, all were considered highly valuable people .

Edited February 25, 2013 by Tony B

[N.O.S.]

Thanks TB - fascinating stuff.

[Tony B]

There have been several TV documentrys that covered this. The book Saturday at MI9 by Aiery Neve, makes some references to such things but at the time methods were still 'Classified'. I belive the SOE special kit manaual is now published. Exploding rats and dung are amongst the range available to the discerning sabotuer. Dick Strawbridge demonstarted some of the bizzare designs in his TV series. One of the more simple tricks was the supply of 'Housewife's to prisoners (For those not familiar the Housewife or Huswife is a generic term for the military issue sewing kit, I was issued one in the RN in 1972) At least one neddle was magnitised, float in a puddle of water, instant compass. As a matter of intrest, RAF officers are still exempt from search on MOD sites, the original reason was they could have been carrying escape maps, escape route details and tools, the existense of which where considered 'Most Secret' (Top Secret was an American designation)

[Tony B]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Agent-Handbook-Wartime-Disguises/dp/1906251312

[Richard Farrant]

Just been sent this - it seems plausible, but can anyone substantiate this as true?

 

 

 

 

Tony,

Just be chance, I was reading an article tonight in the latest issue of Vintage Roadscene, about John Waddington's transport fleet and the maps in Monopoly were mentioned. The writer worked for the company in its latter days. I had heard it before, but a coincidence that you should just mention it.

 

regards, Richard

[Degsy]

Richard I was surprised to read in your post that the info was classified until 2007 because I knew about it 60 years ago and had never realised it was classified. I don't remember who told me about it, could have been my father as he was in the RAF during the war or possibly someone who had worked at Waddingtons factory in Leeds as I was living there at that time.

[Richard Farrant]

Richard I was surprised to read in your post that the info was classified until 2007 because I knew about it 60 years ago and had never realised it was classified. I don't remember who told me about it, could have been my father as he was in the RAF during the war or possibly someone who had worked at Waddingtons factory in Leeds as I was living there at that time.

 

Hi Degsy,

Not my post, that was NOS (Tony) who posted that. I had heard of it before, but forget where.

[Great War truck]

I have seen them at an escape/evasion display at either Hendon or IWM about 35 years ago. I was quite intrigued at the time.

[Degsy]

Hi Degsy,

Not my post, that was NOS (Tony) who posted that. I had heard of it before, but forget where.

 

Yet another senior moment:blush:

[N.O.S.]

Yet another senior moment:blush:

 

You've had a few junior moments recently though :cheesy:

[Degsy]

You've had a few junior moments recently though :cheesy:

 

Anything for a change;)

[Tony B]

Grow old disgrcefully! :cool2:

[Degsy]

Grow old disgrcefully! :cool2:

 

I wish:-D