Post #449350 by Limbo Lizard on Fri, Apr 24, 2009 7:24 AM

On 2009-04-22 21:47, Bora Boris wrote:
Opening in 1943? :o Unless that token is some sort of morale building promotion, I would think that the Japanese occupation of both the Philippines and Singapore during that time put a damper on those expansion plans. :wink:

I think you're right about them being a morale-booster, BB. The Brits and Yanks were rather ignominiously defeated in Singapore and the PI, early on. I know that in the case of the Philippines, retaking them was more important symbolically than tactically. IIRC, some considered it a better, quicker plan to bypass them, as we battled toward Japan, but McArthur would have none of that - said he'd return, and that's that, dammit! I'll bet those tokens were one of Donn's contributions to the war effort - given to servicemen, implying that by that date, those locations would not only have been liberated from the "Japs", but a soldier could imagine himself, cleaned-up and comfortable, relaxing in a newly built DTB,... and with claim to a whole barrel of rum!
Great find - combo WWII/Tiki memorabilia.