Women’s Land Army (W.L.A.)

June 1939:  As the prospect of war became increasingly likely, the government wanted to increase the amount of food grown within Britain and in order to achieve this, more help was needed on the farms so the government formed the Women’s Land Army, known as the Land Girls.  The majority of the Land Girls already lived in the countryside but more than a third came from London and the industrial cities of the north of England.  At first, the government asked for volunteers but this was supplemented by conscription, so that by 1944 there were over 80,000 members. The WLA lasted until its official disbandment 21 October 1950.

Women’s Timber Corps (W.T.C.)

Formed in 1942, the origins of the Women’s Timber Corps (WTC) go back to World War I when the Women’s Timber Service was formed to help with the war effort. In 1940, to solve a labour shortage and an increased demand for timber, the Forestry Commission started recruiting women as forestry workers and also to work in sawmills. In 1942 responsibility passed from the Forestry Commission to the Home Timber Production Department of the Ministry of Supply and the women became part of the new corps.  As many of the women who had joined the Forestry Commission came from the Women’s Land Army, the WLA took over the administration and recruitment for the WTC and although the WTC was officially part of the WLA it retained a separate identity. The uniforms were identical except that the WTC replaced the WLA felt hat for a beret and wore the WTC badge.

A full set of kit consisted of:

• 2 green jerseys
• 2 pairs of riding breeches
• 2 overall coats
• 2 pairs of dungarees
• 6 pairs of woolen knee socks
• 3 beige knit shirts
• 1 pair boots
• 1 pair of brown shoes
• 1 pair of gumboots or boots with leggings
• 1 green beret
• 1 melton overcoat
• 1 oilskin or mackintosh
• 2 towels
• a green armlet and a metal badge
• a bakelite hat badge

The corps was divided into nine geographic areas responsible for the work and welfare of the women in that area. Accommodation ranged from purpose built hutted camps, through small hotels and hostels to private billets. Never as large as the WLA, the WLC had a maximum strength of over 6,000 working throughout the United Kingdom. The corps was a mobile organisation so the workers could be posted anywhere.

Two stories from Peggy Fuller and Edna Thompson

PEGGY FULLER (nee CARRICK) W.L.A. 1944 – 47

Margaret Moore Carrick better known as Peggy in Evenwood and Ramshaw and later as Peggy Fuller, publican the Travellers’ Rest.

Above: Peggy and friends at Witton Towers, back – Ruth Sawyer (from Halifax, Yorkshire) Mary Swaddle (Newcastle), front – Louie Doyle (Tyneside) and Peggy Fuller.

The girls lived in a hostel during the week and went home at the weekends but needed to be back early particularly if they were on Monday morning milking rota.  A wagon would pick up the girls from the hostel and drop them off at the farm.  Ruth Sawyers often stayed at Peggy’s home and when on a week’s leave they went off to Halifax to visit Ruth’s parents.  Most villages had weekend dances which basically was their only entertainment.  The Land Army officials didn’t really like the girls to go to dances but it couldn’t deter them – a ½ pint shandy in the Swan then to the dance.  Eva Maughan taught Peggy to dance to “The Pride of Erin”. 

In 1950, Peggy married Alf Fuller and in 1966, they took over the Travellers’ Rest and ran the pub until the early 1990’s.

EDNA THOMPSON (nee TURNBULL) W.L.A. 1943 – 46

Above: The photo was taken about 1943 at Hulam Hostel.  Edna is right in the centre

I lived in Gateshead and was the youngest of seven children.  I worked at the Co-op Clothing Factory in Pelaw as tailoress making soldiers’ uniforms.  In 1943, when I was 19 years old, I was called up to join the Women’s Land Army.  My working day started at about 7.30 in the morning when I left the hostel to walk to Langton where I was picked up by a wagon which took us to the nursery at Merrybent.  Dances were held at Ingleton Village Hall and it was there that I met Arnold Thompson from Wackerfield.  He worked on the family farm, rented from Lord Barnard, Raby Estates.  The war ended in August 1945 and I was kept on at the nursery until the spring of 1946 when I came out of the WLA.  I married Arnold in 1949.

I can honestly say that the war and joining the Women’s Land Army changed my life.  If I didn’t work at the nursery, then I wouldn’t have met Arnold.  Life in Gateshead would have been so different from my life in the country at Wackerfield.