Northern Aluminium Company Ltd.

This series of plywood jigsaw puzzles feature artistic depictions of WWII actions, commissioned by the Northern Aluminium Company Ltd. The first example I witnessed, that of "Strange Rendezvous with War" seemed to indicate manufacture as being by the London-based manufacturer AVN Jones, although the cutting style was far more reminiscent of Frederick Warne & Co. The partial box-side label for that puzzle showed a W.C.2 postal district, corresponding to London's Strand area, home of Warne & Co., as opposed to Jones' own address in the E.C.2 district.

I have since seen other examples which confirmed that AVN Jones published the prints, whilst Warne marketed the puzzles. To add a little further confusion, my second example, that of Convoyed and Confident is very crudely cut in a style more like that of AVN Jones, so perhaps the puzzles were cut in both factories. I know whose examples I prefer!

Update January 2026 The puzzle "The Crossing Sweepers" puzzle confirms the involvement of both companies, with Jones credited as publishers and Warne as manufacturers.
There are now known to be at least five titles in the series, the other recorded example being:

"In answer to your ...---..." (S.O.S.), featuring a painting by Arthur J.W. Burgess R.I., R.O.I., R.B.S.
This painting showed the 18 Sep 1939 sinking of the ship Kensington Court (Master Joseph Schofield), which had been stopped by U-32 with 13 shots of gunfire about 120 miles west of Lands End. The ship was sunk by a coup de grâce at 14.00 hours. The master and all 34 crew members were rescued by a Sunderland aircraft (228 Sqn RAF, pilot F/Lt Thurston M.W. Smith) and the Sunderland L5802 (204 Sqn RAF/E, pilot F/Lt John Barrett). On 2 November, each pilot was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for their feat.