Puzzle

Production date
1914-1918
Description
A child's jigsaw puzzle from World War One. The puzzle is named "The Flag Puzzle". The box depicts two children and their mother, with their soldier father coming home, presumably from the front. The puzzle pieces do not match the front cover, and instead depict the Union Jack, a cavalry charge and Lord Kitchener.
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Object detail

Artist/Maker
Production role
Maker
Production date
1914-1918
Production place
Production period
Credit line
This puzzle from World War One shows some of the patriotism that was part of everyday life on the Home Front in Britain during this time, with the soldier father coming home to his family with their images of military figures on the walls. However, this puzzle did not belong to a child in England. Instead, it belonged to Jackie Lloyd, who was from Tauranga. The fact that this puzzle made its way to New Zealand reveals how closely New Zealand was tied to Britain during the First World War, with New Zealand families also waiting at home for their fathers, husbands, sons or brothers to come home. Poor Jackie contracted polio prior to the outbreak of World War One, after which he was unable to walk unaided. His mother took him from their home in Tauranga to Rotorua every year, where he was treated at the Rotorua Bath House by Dr Arthur Wohlmann. Wohlmann always argued that the treatments of water massage, electric shocks and hot mud would cure Jackie, but sadly he died in 1918 at the age of 8.
Accession number
PA2013.085
Collection type
Material

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Public comments

Kia ora I came upon this page as I was researching an entry in my great grandfathers war diary from 1918. "8 August 1918. On lewis gun training all morning In the afternoon went for a bath Got a wire from home to say that Jackie Lloyd was dead. Wrote a letter home No 15 Got a wire from home also Fine day" -John W. Murphy https://www.facebook.com/asoldiersdiary/ How sad this must have been for the family. His father was lying wounded in a military hospital in England at the time.

- Sean Murphy posted 5 years ago.

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