Last week we linked to the incredible story of how German saboteurs landed on the shores of Long Island in World War II and nearly blew up landmarks in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
This week, I further bolster my history geek credentials with the story of how the British army worked with John Waddington Ltd., the manufacturer of the Monopoly board game, to smuggle escape maps, metal files, magnetic compasses and three kinds of European currency into Nazi P.O.W. camps concealed inside “special editions” of the game.
From Mental Floss:
[…] despite its brave and noble role in all of it, Monopoly’s heroic war deeds would go unrecognized for decades. Strict secrecy about the plan was maintained during the war, not only so that the British could continue using the game to help POWs, but also because Waddington feared a targeted reprisal by German bombers. After the war, all remaining sets were destroyed, and everyone involved in the plan, including the escaped prisoners, were told to keep quiet. In the event of another large-scale war, Allied officials also wanted to make sure the seemingly innocent board game could go back into action.
Image via Online board games.
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