Not concrete on this, But I would believe its origin lies in "Old Wive's Tales", that generally revolve around what was observed by being near or in hay and gaining a fever afterwards Hay Fever is another term for seasonal allergies. Seasonal allergies are often pollen related, and hay tends to be a producer of particularly allergy inducing pollen.
Fact sheet: Allergic rhinitis (hay fever). American Academy of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery. Greiner AN, et al.
Allergies and hay fever. American Academy of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery. Rhinitis and sinusitis.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.