Landgirls and Their Impact [Hardcover]

The Women's Land Army made its appearance originally during the First World War to fill the desperate manpower gap in Britain's food production. The majority worked in milking parlours or in the fields, whilst smaller numbers were trained to provide more specialised services in market gardens, or as tractor drivers and ploughmen. An associated group, the Women's Timber Corp, did what it said on their badge.

In 1939, the idea was resurrected by Lady Gertrude Denman (1884-1954) and author Ann Kramer tells the Second World War story from some archival sources, but largely driven by the recollections of the twenty veterans that she interviewed. Members of the WLA feel forgotten; they were a civilian service despite wearing the King's Crown on their hatbadge and they were treated poorly by many of the people and organisations with whom they came into contact. Despite that, tens of thousands of them served on farms throughout Britain during the course of the war, pushing up domestic food production and thus releasing cargo capacity in shipping for other war materials.

They had a slow start, due to reluctance from government departments, the farming community, unions and their peers, but they made themselves essential, exceeded all expectations and put girl-power on the map for future generations of women to develop. They were underpaid, undervalued and always way under-estimated, but triumphed over every adversity only to be ignored after their service; denied benefits that women in military branches enjoyed and shunned at veteran events until quite recently.

The lumber jills in forestry are probably even less recognised and only rate passing mentions in this book. The author's research came from reunions at Brenzett, Kent and none of her interviewees served in the Women's Timber Corps, although quotes from other sources are included for completeness. Both sides tell much the same story of the difficulties getting into the job - most of the volunteers were from towns - and the limitations of training before having to get things done. This gives us the image of four Timber Corps girls trying to push a tree over and novice milkers washing the whole cow instead of just the udders, not to mention the two girls who were given the task of taking a bull to sire a cow and spent hours trying to get the cow to lie down. Once they knew what to do, however, they all got on and did it.

Land Girls had a distinctive uniform of brown corduroy breeches, long beige socks, green jumper and the coolest brown hat you could get without being a ghurkha. The trousers might have scared some people and young women on the farm may have scared some farmer's wives but some 80,000 women got in and got the job done and then (mostly) went on to enjoy full lives. The irritation at not being recognised surfaces in the book; it wasn't just the lack of gratuity when they left in the 1940s, it's the way they have been ignored since that still hurts six decades later.

As an introduction to this aspect of the home front during the war, this book is an excellent primer. The Imperial War Museum has reprinted some of the wartime material and various veterans have penned their stories, but this volume introduces the reader to the women who, if they'd known how hard it was all going to be and if they'd known of the prejudices they'd have to face then, not to mention the official indifference thereafter, would still have done it then and would probably have another go now, if called upon.

"But when the war is over and peace at last restored, I shall always remember the Land Girl, who made her hoe her sword."