In the September 1945 allotment & garden growing guide, issued as part of the Dig for Victory campaign, the introduction says: "... the gardener who has done his job well can indulge in a satisfied smile in September, when he surveys the fruits of his labours and decides on those "O.S." fruits and vegetables that will represent his household at the church or chapel harvest festival ..." Does anyone know what the "O.S." stands for? Thanks
Own Source sounds possible - what's bugging me is I'm sure I've had it explained to me many years ago. I had a feeling it was operational surplus or something similar. I've just had an email from a chap who was born in 1938 so hoping he remembers.
I'll take a stab at it and say: Others Share. The way this is written gives the impression of donating to a food bank. [QUOTE=" "when he surveys the fruits of his labours and decides on those "O.S." fruits and vegetables that will represent his household at the church or chapel harvest festival ..." [/QUOTE]
Thanks a lot for the replies - I've had it confirmed from 2 people who were around at the time that it does stand for "Operational Surplus" Other military terms that were in general usage in the UK in 1945 were "US" as in UnServiceable and "MT" for empty when chalked on a container. It's a sobering thought that WW2 is near to being beyond living memory and questions like mine will remain a mystery.
The 4H fairs in the US are mostly about who grew the biggest whatevers, no doubt we got that from the UK.
