Anyways, this post is about Monopoly. Monopoly and World War 2, to be specific.
As this article outlines in detail, the Germans didn't take very good care of their POWs during WWII, and were thus more than happy to accept Red Cross aid packages to make it look like they weren't TOTALLY ignoring the Geneva Conventions. The Brits were quick to realize this, and started filling the aid packages with a few extra diversions for the troops. One of the most interesting things they sent over were slightly modified Monopoly games. Why Monopoly? Well, it just so happens that John Waddington Ltd., the same company that held international distribution rights for the game, had perfected a method for printing maps onto silk sheets.
For the most part, the Red Cross Monopoly boards were the same as regular boards, except for a few extra innocent playing pieces, like the metal file and magnetic compass. The most useful modification was the inclusion of regional silk maps tucked into the game boxes themselves, complete with Allied safehouses marked along the optimal escape route. Since the Brits knew exactly where the packages were going, they were able to provide detailed maps of the surrounding areas to the troops on the receiving end. Ingenious!
But why silk maps? Paper maps are just fine, until you have to do anything sneaky with them. They're loud, tear easily, and don't hold up well to moisture. Silk maps, on the other hand, are stealthy and waterproof.
As a final touch, Waddington included some "upgraded" Monopoly money, including several different types of European currency, to help the escapees bribe their way to freedom. All in all, I'd say escaping from a Nazi war prisoner camp with secret tools hidden in a board game that was shipped in right under your captors' noses has got to be in the Top 10 Most Badass Things You Could Ever Do list.
(link courtesy of The Freakonomics Blog)
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