Tuesday 10 November 2009

The Onion is On the Windowsill

By some strange coincidence, "The Onion is On the Windowsill" was the code phrase used 65 years ago to signal the start of Operation Big Stink. This was the Allies' plan to demoralize the German  Reserve Troops by spraying raw onion juice from low-flying aircraft. While the troops' eyes were streaming, their aim would be poor (or so the theory went) and an attack would more likely to succeed.  

However, the ingenious plan was never enacted : the UK military lawyer, Mr Reuben  O'Flaherty pointed out that such chemical warfare could provoke a more serious escalation.

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