Band of Brothers
By John Peterson
The apparent collapse of the world's financial markets today sends shivers up the spine
of all but the most seasoned (and most likely, the oldest) among us. It is exceedingly
painful to watch the accumulation of one's hard-earned efforts go up in the smoke of
greed and miscalculation by those entrusted to manage and protect our financial nest
eggs. The end result is far from certain at this time but I am confident that, unlike the
bath water when the plug is pulled, civilisation as we know it is not going down the
drain. Such confidence would have been harder to find a scant 70 years ago during the
last Great War: World War II. The challenges then faced by Great Britain and her allies
were monumental. The very existence of nations was at risk. The national treasure of
men and blood was spent selflessly to preserve freedom. Sacrifice was the order of the
day and it extended into all reaches of daily existence. The very fabric of national life
was rewoven around the fight for survival. At no time since the birth of the United States
was Thomas Paine's quotation from The American Crisis more appropriate: "These are
the times that try men's souls." The perils we face today pale by comparison to those
faced by the British and their European allies during World War II.
Even in the face of such adversity, life did go on. People married, babies were born
and a weary nation tried to divert its attention from the toils of war if only for brief
moments of release. Viewed in this context, the amusement industry played an important
role in helping to maintain the sense of normality desperately needed during this time of
tremendous national stress. For a few pennies, anyone could forget the tribulations of war
and take a brief mental vacation back to gentler times when the family would go to the
seashore on their holiday and pass the hours playing games. It is important that the
collectors of today recognize the historical importance of the machines from this unique
time and seek to preserve them as an important benchmark from our past. These
machines help illuminate a nation's best efforts during the worst of times.
The first and most obvious challenge facing producers was the shortage of supplies
used in the manufacture of their games. The war effort required that almost all metals be
diverted to the manufacture of munitions and war-related products. Unlike their American
counterparts, most British games were made of solid oak cases with metal mechanisms,
usually brass or tin. By contrast, the American game of preference, the slot machine, was
predominantly metal with only nominal use of a wood in the base or back door. Even
with this wood advantage enjoyed by the British manufacturers, wood was at a premium
and metal was simply not available. The result? Many British game manufacturers went
out of business during the War.
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