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Overview
This puzzle, designed and made in New Zealand during the Second World War, is a jig-saw map of Great Britain described as ‘One puzzle no Nazi can solve!’ As well as being a piece of propaganda, suggesting that the German army will never defeat Great Britain, the puzzle is also a way for people to learn geography. The box promises that by the time you’ve solved the puzzle you’ll know the geography of Britain backwards.
Featuring the Union Jack and the English lion prominently on the front cover, the puzzle points to ongoing strategic and sentimental connections between New Zealand and Britain, which were heightened during wartime. The defence of Britain was of great importance to New Zealand’s own defence and economic security, and many Pākehā New Zealanders maintained links to ‘kith and kin’ in Britain. The New Zealand manufacturer of this puzzle must have felt confident that there would be local interest in a jigsaw map of the British Isles, and that customers would want to learn more about the geography of the ‘Mother Country.’
Further reading
- Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 2012. Fighting for Britain. NZ History Online. https://nzhistory.govt.nz/war/second-world-war/fighting-for-britain