Women's Land Army
The Women's Land Army was first created during World War One. This was an era when a great deal of farm work was done by men. With so many young men called up for the armed services, there was a real gap in farm workers. Hence, the government called on women to fill this gap. The same situation arose in World War Two - home grown food was needed and the men were not there to harvest it. Hence why the government resurrected the WLA.
"The girls came from all walks of life and various parts of the country. We had some from Yorkshire and London. It must have been quite a culture shock for them. I, having been born in the country, didn't feel quite so bad." Iris Walters
The Women's Land army was first created during World War One. This was an era when a great deal of farm work was done by men. With so many young men called up for the armed services, there was a real gap in farm workers. Hence, the government called on women to fill this gap. The same situation arose in World War Two - home grown food was needed and the men were not there to harvest it. The WLA did all the jobs that were required to make a farm function normally, requiring them to do jobs such as:
The Women's Land Army was first created during World War One. This was an era when a great deal of farm work was done by men. With so many young men called up for the armed services, there was a real gap in farm workers. Hence, the government called on women to fill this gap. The same situation arose in World War Two - home grown food was needed and the men were not there to harvest it. Hence why the government resurrected the WLA.
"The girls came from all walks of life and various parts of the country. We had some from Yorkshire and London. It must have been quite a culture shock for them. I, having been born in the country, didn't feel quite so bad." Iris Walters
The Women's Land army was first created during World War One. This was an era when a great deal of farm work was done by men. With so many young men called up for the armed services, there was a real gap in farm workers. Hence, the government called on women to fill this gap. The same situation arose in World War Two - home grown food was needed and the men were not there to harvest it. The WLA did all the jobs that were required to make a farm function normally, requiring them to do jobs such as:
- Threshing
- Ploughing
- Tractor Driving
- Reclaiming Land
- Drainage
The wage for someone in the WLA over the age of 18 was £1 12 pence a week after deductions had been made for lodgings and food. There was an agreed maximum working week - 50 hours in the summer and 48 hours in the winter. However, although they were making a fair pay parents of the women wanting to volunteer for the WLA were skeptical because they didn't agree with women earning a salary. They thought that women should stay at home and look after children and cook. Furthermore, parents disagreed with the rule that your had to pay to join the WLA despite earning money back. However, photographs from the time reveal that it was an enjoyable experience and something to be proud of as it kept spirits high through arduous times of war.
The uniform consisted of:
The opinions of the uniform were mixed and usually sizes were far too big and women had to tailor them themselves to fit. Also, the skirts were scratchy and the tie never seemed to work.
The uniform consisted of:
- 2 short sleeve shirts and a tie
- A skirt
- 1 green pull over
- 2 pairs of socks
- A pair of shoes
- A big brace overall
- A hat
- A pair of rubber boots
- One long but thin rain coat for the winter
The opinions of the uniform were mixed and usually sizes were far too big and women had to tailor them themselves to fit. Also, the skirts were scratchy and the tie never seemed to work.
The government used a lot of propaganda to try to get women to enlist in the WLA. It was intended to motivate and advertise the women as a vital part of the war effort. The propaganda on the left depicts women as strong and independent people and this encouraged women to work for our victory.
Britain had only 3 weeks of food supply in the UK left when the Women's Land Army was formed, with a helping hand from a Lady Trudie Denman, who had her part to play in WW1 but is more well known for her efforts in WW2. But the Women's Land Army was then disbanded in 1919 when men returned to their farms and the women were simply not required...
Britain had only 3 weeks of food supply in the UK left when the Women's Land Army was formed, with a helping hand from a Lady Trudie Denman, who had her part to play in WW1 but is more well known for her efforts in WW2. But the Women's Land Army was then disbanded in 1919 when men returned to their farms and the women were simply not required...