The Monopoly board that won millions of Pows their lives
We’d been told all this time that, since we could not prove that the properties weren’t taken by Nazis, these instructions had been issued by the East Germans during Land Reform.
“Now, by their own criteria, we have proven that it was the Nazis who confiscated our property.
“My grandfather was forced to sign them over under torture. Yet when we presented these facts they simply said it was irrelevant.”
He said one factor in the unfair judgment was the continuing allegiance in what was East Germany to Soviet and communist ideology.
“The town of Baruth is trying to eradicate a big part of history. If you go on to the town’s website, my family’s history of more than 500 years, including building its church and contributing greatly to its culture and community, has been completely written out.
“The mayor and those in power are tied to former East German ideology which, of course, grants the Soviet Union all credit for defeating Hitler. Mrs Merkel officially commemorated the 75th anniversary of the July 20 plot, but they don’t want to accept it even took place.” But he has pledged to continue to fight for justice.
“We have been the victims of gross and malign obscuration at best. At worst we’re dealing with a cover-up of this by German courts in the old East Germany.
“I’m now forced to take this to the Constitutional court, which will be terribly expensive and complicated.
“This is the sinister aspect of the whole thing and completely scandalous.
“It couldn’t be worse in a country where one is supposed to feel protected by rule of law.”
He added: “Clearly, it is their hope to run one out of steam. They hope I will give up, or might not make it there.
“But we’ve been fighting this battle for 30 years, and we continue to bear the cost out of principle of righting the wrong my grandfather suffered.
“He didn’t live to see justice done, my father didn’t live to see justice done. If I don’t live to see justice done someone else will take over...”
MONOPOLY’S makers gave Pows a “Get Out of Jail Free” card that saved them from being murdered by Himmler, new research shows.
Military Intelligence teamed up with Waddingtons to smuggle escape kits into camps inside the board game.
The prisoners were usually guarded by the Luftwaffe – who were fooled by the ruse.
But secret documents have revealed that in late 1943, in Stalag Luft III – where prisoners would later stage the Great Escape – events took a sinister turn.
Allied officers learned from camp gossip that Himmler was planning to replace the guards with SS troops so the airmen could be sent to the front.
But instead of guarding the seven million Pows in Germany and occupied Europe the plan was to kill them and bury them in mass graves.
Documents have revealed that when the British-led Escape Committee learned of the plot they agreed word needed to reach London.
Christopher Clayton Hutton, a senior officer with MI9 – formed to help POWS escape – hit on the idea of sending maps, compasses, wire cutters and money into POW camps hidden in Monopoly sets.
The Nazis had agreed that charities could send the games, to take the Pows’ minds off escaping.
But a red dot on Free Parking showed that the escape tools were hidden in slots cut into the board. Real bank notes were mixed with the Monopoly Money.
With the clock ticking on Himmler’s plans, a break-out was hatched on the doctored set. American Lieutenant David Bowling, fluent in German, made the attempt. As well as civilian clothing, a forged ID and a train schedule, he was also issued with German money, a silk map, a tiny compass, wire cutters, and a saw, from the game.
He crawled to the wire, and cut through before walking 10 miles to the town of Sagan.the next morning he boarded a train for Switzerland. He made it to Zurich and relayed the urgent message. The Allies used Swiss contacts to warn Himmler that if he carried out his plan he would be held personally responsible. Himmler got the message and spared the POWS.
The astonishing story was among those revealed to an audience at Leeds University last week by Dr Barbara Bond of the Royal Geographical Society.
John Watson, former Northyorkshire county councillor and son of Normanwatson – heir of Waddingtons’ wartime bossvictorwatson – said: “My father was fond of telling tales about Waddingtons’ part in the war effort.
“The silk maps were a major feature of such recollections. As I remember it, some of them were used as part of airmen’s uniforms. I also know that the silk had to be specially treated so that it wouldn’t distort.
“The Monopoly ones were laminated within the boards.
“He also said that several Monopoly sets were sent out containing tokens made of pure gold to be used by prisoners to pay for assistance with their escapes.”