Onions during WW2...

We were watching an episode of 'Foyle's War' the other evening, and a side-story was the police station raffle! The first prize was an onion, and Sam says to the desk sergeant that she hadn't seen one since before the war, and could she just sniff it for a treat!

We thought that there were always plenty of onions about in those dark days, and C.H.Middleton often refers to them throughout his wartime broadcasts! He also spells broccoli as 'calabresse', but as we've just started our PSB, we'll forgive him for that, but the TV people should have looked into this little snippet before giving Sam palpitations, (or me for that matter..;0)

(There was an episode of 'Dad's army', where Hodges was raffling an orange, but they were in short supply)!

Any other shortages...?

Middleton does imply that, Mum, and says that one normally got whatever seed was available. He also recommended sharing 'an ounce' between friends, as that's quite a lot of onion seed! He also advocated putting an onion with a wedge of cheese popped inside, in the oven, opening all the windows, and getting the passers-by to drool all the way home... I'm up for that!

But onions were apparently available but in limited supply of varieties!

I can easily remember sweets coming off ration, as my sister ran up to the village shop, and came back with a yard of licorice skipping rope!

I wasn't around in the war years I became  my parents pride and joy I think  2 years after but i remember my Dad saying many people who had allotments or back gardens grew veg including onions and as its said bread and chees with an onion and a pint of good beer was a favourite for many people

and i suppose we had the advantage being in a village and having ground to grow veg than those in the cities that's when  allotments where i believe at there peek and onions being one of the main winter veg i suspect there where many an onion strung up in the garden shed or pantry in those dark years

and i thought our onions where good but you've put me to shame Jezza they look lovely but better in a pan with a piece of steak

Yes, some of mine did this last year.
My theory was that they made an early 'outside layer' because of the drought, and then the rains finally came and they grew some more layers before drying again in early autumn.