Monopoly Helped WW2 Allied Prisoners Escape Capture
How a game denouncing capitalism became a war-time savior
Monopoly is a household name, a centerpiece for Hasbro with hundreds of themed boards all centered around capturing land and building houses. In 1999, Monopoly was awarded a Guinness Book World Record as the most popular board game. It was created in the 1930s by Charles Darrow but was derived from “The Landlord’s Game,” a 1903 demonstration of economic principles by Lizzie Magie. In her version, Monopoly had two sets of instructions, one that pushed players to create a monopoly and another uniting players through taxes. The goal was to protest against the construction of monopolies.
What began as a simple political game became an escape plan during World War II.
Care Packages For POWs
Under the Geneva Convention, the Red Cross was able to send aid to those held as POWs directly. These care packages often included first aid kits, food, games, clothing, soap, and even shaving razors. They aimed to support troops held by enemy soldiers and ensure they got basic necessities.
In 1941, this extended to helping soldiers escape when the British Secret Service approached Waddington, the manufacturer producing Monopoly, to produce special editions of the game for the Red Cross relief parcels. These boxes contained additional pieces, like a metal file, a magnetic compass, a region-specific silk map, and even real-world currency hidden inside. Each map contained safehouse locations specific to the region and the currency was included for bribes. As the war progressed, Allied soldiers were informed to look for specially marked games if they were captured.
Since the Red Cross was able to identify which package went to which camp, the Secret Service collaborated with them to produce location-specific maps and include country-specific currency for POWs. A full stop after “Marylebone Station” meant a map for Italy while a full stop after “Free Parking” meant maps for Northern France and Germany.
A Secret Kept To Time
More than 35,000 Allied POWs escaped from Germany by the end of the war. While it’s impossible to tell how many used Monopoly, at least some were aided in their escape by a board. Part of the reason for this is because of the secrecy associated with the inclusion of Monopoly maps.
During the war, the British kept this fiercely secret so that the board games could be brought into camps without worry, and Waddington, the manufacturer, was afraid of German retaliation for their part in the war. Once the war ended, all remaining boards were destroyed and everyone involved was told to keep the events secret in case another war broke out. Military officials wanted to be able to reuse the Monopoly game smuggling idea for future POWs.
Nowadays, war memorabilia and Monopoly collectors often seek out these special Monopoly games in hopes of finding a piece of history embedded in the board. Even if she didn’t earn much from the game, Elizabeth Magie would be proud to know the good her game caused and its inclusion during WWII.
