COVICTORY GARDEN and Eggs

Photo by cottonbro

By the end of World War II it has been estimated that Canadian farmers provided 15% of Britain's eggs. Now whether those were whole in shell, or dehydrated into the dreaded powdered egg is unknown. But as many of us enjoy eggs every day or whenever they are made for us, eggs were a luxury during the war. It's difficult to transport fresh eggs, to keep them fresh and in tact requires care, and they take up a lot of space on ships. Dehydrated egg was a solution to these obstacles, jars of the yellowy powder packed more efficiently on cargo freighters, but they were never as tasty as a real egg.
The egg also holds a special place in the history of aircrews of World War II. Flight Lieutenant Murray Peden of the R.C.A.F recounts in his book A Thousand Shall Fall, how aircrews got some of the best when it came to their rations:

"We knew via the grapevine that squadron aircrews got milk to drink every day, plus a fried egg snack before and after each operation. Being thus admitted to the ops fraternity did not do our morale any harm that night."

While many had to endure powdered egg and milk, aircrews were treated to the finery that is REAL milk and REAL egg. F/L Peden highlights the anointed position the egg held among aircrews:

"When the briefing was over we had a couple of hours to wait before we went to the mess for our first operational flying meal. This treat - and it really fell in that category - consisted of a fried-egg, and toast supper; and it was a real fried egg, the traditional bonus aircrew received when they flew on ops."

J. Douglas Harvey, DFC, CD, Wing Commander echoes Peden's comments in his book Boys, Bombs and Brussels Sprouts: A Knees-Up, Wheels-Up Chronicle of WWII.

"Every aircrew hated and feared the endless hours between briefing and actually taking off. Usually a meal was served a few hours prior to takeoff and we called this the "last supper." It was the only time bacon and eggs - real eggs- were served. They took your mind off the horrors that lay ahead. But only those flying operations that night were served this treat. The rest of the personnel had the usual fried or boiled brussels sprouts, mutton, and potatoes."

Along with their egg, aircrews enjoyed bacon, milk, tea or coffee and even beer.

Murray Peden, A Thousand Shall Fall: The True Story of a Canadian Bomber Pilot in World War II, Dundurn, 2003., 398

It was a dangerous job to be a member of a bomber crew during World War II. With 364,514 operational sorties flown, 8,325 aircraft were lost. The casualty rate was high with 57,205 aircrew lost out of 125,000 (46% casualty rate), with another 8,403 wounded and 9,838 taken as prisoners of war.