Facts and Stories from WWII That We Won’t Find in History Books

28. Carrots Don’t, in Fact, Improve Eyesight

In the midst of WWII, British innovation led to developing a rudimentary radar system capable of detecting enemy aircraft at night, significantly improving the Royal Air Force’s effectiveness in intercepting and shooting down German bombers under the cover of darkness.

They launched a propaganda campaign to hide this, claiming that the remarkable night-time accuracy of British gunners was due to their consumption of carrots, which were said to improve eyesight. This narrative was bolstered by attributing the success of Britain’s leading night fighter ace, John “Cat’s Eyes” Cunningham, to his fondness for carrots.