Today I would like to share my painting of London dockworkers working their plots in 1942 on the Mudchute Allotments in the East End of London. They were bombed at night and were key workers keeping goods following during the day to keep the country stocked. During their spare time the allotments were their sanctuary and put food on the table. The Mudchute had some 350 plots right next to the docks and also housed an Ack Ack battery to help protect the docks.
I have previously written about the allotments during the War , the seed donations from the US and ceremonial handover to our own East End Dockland plot holders and families .The area occupied by the allotments had suffered extensive bomb damage during the first night of the Blitz in September 1940. The cartons of seeds had a huge impact on morale in the East End of London and in what was a routinely blitzed Docklands.
The seeds helped produce onions, potatoes, beans, marrows, cabbage, beetroot, lettuces, carrots, turnips and the much needed food to help feed the East End and families that continued to work in the docks through the Blitz and the entire war and land the cargo that was vital to the UK.
