ESCAPE MAPS AND MONOPOLY

DURING WORLD WAR TWO, SMALL SILK 'ESCAPE MAPS' WERE PRINTED AND SMUGGLED TO PRISONERS OF WAR TO HELP THEM TO ESCAPE. THEY WERE EASILY CONCEALED IN THE HEELS OF SHOES OR CIGARETTE PACKETS AND DIDN'T RUSTLE LIKE CONVENTIONAL PAPER MAPS. THEY WERE ALSO MORE RESISTENT TO THE ELEMENTS THAN PAPER.





ALONG WITH THE MAPS, TINY COMPASSES CONCEALED INSIDE BUTTONS AND OTHER COMMON ITEMS TO BE USED ALONG WITH THE MAPS TO HELP P.O.W ESCAPE AND SUCCESFULLY NAVIGATE UNKNOWN TERRITORY.



THE BOARD GAME MANUFACTORERS - WADDINGTONS - WHO MADE MONOPOLY HAD PERFECTED THE TECHNICALLY DIFFICULT TASK OF PRINTING ON SILK BEFORE THE ON SET OF THE WAR, SO THEY WERE ENLISTED TO PRINT THE SILK ESCAPE MAPS.
THEY ALSO EMBEDDED HUNDREDS OF ESCAPE KITS INSIDE MONOPOLY GAMES. SERVICE MEN WERE TOLD TO LOOK OUT FOR SPECIAL BOARDS MARKED WITH A RED DOT ON THE FREE PARKING SQUARE. THEY WERE DELIVERED BY CHARITY WORKERS. THEY CONTAINED MAPS, COMPASSES, TOOLS AND REAL MONEY HIDDEN UNDER THE BANK NOTES