When I was a little boy, we looked forward to Easter eggs. If we were lucky, the lengthening days of Easter would result in our hens starting to lay eggs again.
You see, that function of any bird is a result of what we call phototropism, that is, a response to light....and chickens did not start to lay eggs until the longer days of spring stimulated them.
Of course, in today's world, chickens lay eggs throughout the year as we utilize artificial light.
If we were fortunate, there would be eggs to colour, Easter egg hunts, and I can remember being told,"Today , you kids can have as many eggs as you like." What a treat that was, and we soft-boiled, fried, scrambled, and poached them on Easter Sunday morning before church, and after church in the sunny afternoon. Then we went hunting for more fresh eggs in the various farm buildings where there were straw-filled nesting boxes.
If you were not alert to where the hens were nesting, the the eggs might be incubated before you found them, for every egg was fertile.
In just three or four days of "setting" by a broody hen, one would be able to see a tiny heart beating (about the size of a freckle). Those eggs, containing tiny embryos, would not be considered fresh, so they went into the swill pail for consumption by the swine.
I arrived overseas in 1943 to find that fresh eggs in their shells were scarce and seldom available in the U.K. at that time. Tons of powdered eggs were shipped across the big pond, and of course that bland product was reconstituted for many culinary uses.
I must tell you about my arrival at Uncle David's in Cardiff, Wales. As a young Pilot Officer in the R.C.A.F., I was received into their home as a real celebrity.....and I was just that in their eyes. Very few aircraft officers found their way to Cardiff in those days.
At breakfast, on my first visit to any of my Welsh relatives, two fried eggs, sunny-side up, were placed on my plate, along with bacon and some fried potatoes.
I was really enjoying this lovely breakfast with Aunt Annie fussing over me, and Uncle David proud as Punch with his nephew Bob's arrival at his home. Cousin Vera, sweet 16, kept looking at me with wide-eyed admiration, smiling, and watching every forkful of those delicious eggs move from plate to pallet. But my 11-year-old cousin Ray's eyes were so doleful, and tear-filled, as he too watched me enjoy my breakfast. Then he asked, "Where did we get the eggs Daddy?" A hushed silence followed, and then, "Please Daddy tell me, how did we get eggs? I've never tasted an egg like cousin Bob has."
Looks of dismay were on the faces of all, with Aunt Annie trying to hush Ray. Dear Vera was saying words of "I'm sorry cousin Bob" and poor Uncle David eventually saying "that's enough Ray - you get ready for school now and not another word out of you."
It turned out that Uncle David knew someone who had access to the black market, and he had visited him the night before to obtain those two eggs for my breakfast . He indicated that it was true that their two children had not had a shell egg since the war started.
When I got on operations with 424 Squadron of Bomber Command, as a treat, after completion of each mission into enemy territory, we were rewarded with a meal of bacon and eggs.
There was a problem with that simple reward, for in those days, for every 100 airmen who attempted the completion of a tour, 92 would not survive.
It is not surprising that it was decided that bomber crews could have bacon and eggs at the meal preceding the mission. Yes, fresh shell eggs were a real treat, but they were not served indiscriminately. If an airman was not flying operationally, no eggs were served to him.
My wife Barbara, asked me, "Didn't other non-operational air-crew and ground-crew in the sergeants and Officers mess become antagonized by the fact that they were not eligible for fresh eggs?"
I hesitated for a minute and thought about it. Then I answered, "I think not - they knew very well that we might not return from that mission that we were about to leave on, and were very happy to welcome us back. I suppose it would be an unthinkable attitude to envy our position."
Anyway, many years later, I still enjoy eggs - boiled, fried, or poached - as gourmet dining.
I am reminded of a circumstance, when on leave from my Squadron, in Picadilly Circus in London, England, I had heard that there was a black market restaurant that would serve operational aircrew fresh eggs, with spam, bacon, toast, etc.
Finally, in desperation at not being able to find the place, and with some timidity, I approached an English Bobby....he must have been six-feet six-inches with his helmet on. I was wearing my blue trench coat with flat hat and white scarf.
"Yes, sir," he said to me, "are you fighter command or bomber command?"
"Bomber," I answered.
Then he said, "Come with me."
It was a short walk of a couple of blocks to the black market restaurant where he counselled me to "open your trench coat so they can see your officers uniform." I can yet remember his genuine smile and his salute as he turned and left before I could say, "Thank you, constable."
Of course they did serve the eggs without even asking what I would like, and that restaurant was litterally filled with aircrew officers and N.C.O.s enjoying a feast that I shall always remember. Is it not a bit of incredible British fact that a strictly black market restaurant could flourish with tha blessings of all, in a place like Picadilly Circus in some of the darkest days of the London blitz of World War II ?
I wonder how many of our readers realize the food value in an egg, and how the white of an egg alone will produce a chicken, with the yolk being absorbed as food for the chick until it is old enough to eat. I wonder too, if the younger generation even know of the shortage of eggs experienced during World War II, and realize the simple pleasure expressed in eating a fresh egg.
This Easter, as always, children will take part in the ritual of searching for eggs. They, and their parents, will take the fresh eggs for granted and enjoy their abundance.
Aren't we lucky? Happy Easter!
