Reflection of a time

I’ve just completed a jigsaw that set my mind thinking. The subject matter of the jigsaw was a collection of 1940s toys & toy boxes.

I couldn’t help recalling an episode of “Foyle’s War” in which Sam, Foyle’s driver & general assistant, went to buy some toys for Foyle’s god-daughter’s young son who was staying alone with Foyle. At the shop Sam was struck by the shortage of toys and those that were there, all seemed to be war related. She was trying to turn the little boy’s thoughts away from the war as he was clearly terrified whenever a plane flew overhead.

Looking at the titles of the games in the jigsaw, war definitely dominates as a theme – “Hurricanes & Spitfires”, “Bomber Command”, “Torpedo Attack”, “Air Raiding”, “Raiders & Fighters”, “ARP”, “Aerial Attack, “The Siege”, “Air-sea Rescue”, “Chase the Enemy”, “The Dover Patrol – naval tactics”, “Siegfried Line”, “Air Raid Menace”, “Night Raiders”, “Submarine Hunt”, “Victory”. Some times the games were more aimed at the war on the home front with “Blacking out Moon”, “Black-out” & “Vacuation”. Even the jigsaw illustrated was of Air Marshall Montgomery. The doll was dressed in khaki uniform, the model car painted in camouflage colours. Needless to say the models to make were of military airplanes. It was something of a relief to come across “Hornby Train”, “Housey-Housey”, “Plasticine”, “Subbuteo” & “Monopoly”.

I suppose at the time war was something at the forefront of anyone’s mind, even toy manufacturers. Possibly there was a need to encourage children to take pride in what their, mainly fathers, were doing, & to teach them to be careful of showing a light at night. For that matter it may have increasingly seemed appropriate to train young boys especially in the idea that war was great as they themselves may soon be conscripted if the war continued on. Indeed most would be conscripted for military service long after the end of World War II.

The only positive sounding game, presumably reflecting the post war 1940s, was “Bayko building sets”. I assume this must have reflected the need to build new housing after all the bombing had flattened so many homes.

I couldn’t help thinking all these games give a strange reflection on a period before I was born. By my childhood in the 50-60s, war as a theme had largely disappeared. Sure “Action Men” came on the scene, but that was about it.

I do remember visiting my relatives. My cousin Michael - about 10 years older than me, the younger brother of Pat who recently had a mastectomy – adorned his bedroom with model military airplanes he had made. I thought it very odd at the time, but then I was too young to really appreciate the war or how recently it had been. Now I wonder if it doesn’t reflect his own childhood in the 40-50s.