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- Womens Timber Corps during the Second World War -


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World War 2 Two II WW2 WWII 1939 1945

Womens Timber Corps



       The Womens Timber Corps was formed in 1942 to recruit women to work in forestry to meet the increasing demands for timber for the war effort. From the outbreak of war women had been recruited by the Forestry Commission to replace men leaving to serve in the armed forces, the Corps was formed when responsibility for timber production transferred from the the Forestry Commission to the Home Timber Production Department of the Ministry of Supply. Recruitment and administration was handled by the Women's Land Army and the uniform was the same, except that WTC members wore a green beret instead of a felt hat. Known as Lumber Jills, they worked in forests and also in saw mills. Training was provided at specialist depots and the women would then be posted wherever they were needed.


    If you can provide any additional information, especially on actions and locations at specific dates, please add it here.



Those known to have served with

Womens Timber Corps

during the Second World War 1939-1945.

  • Ball Joan Gertrude. (d. )
  • Bird Emily.
  • Burgin Mary.
  • Christie Jean.
  • Cunningham Olive Elizabeth .
  • Elder Rosalind.
  • Elder Rosalind A. M. . Ldr.
  • Fifield Millie.
  • Frood Lindsay.
  • Grant Elizabeth.
  • Heggie Toni.
  • Kane Barbara.
  • MacDonald Jessy.
  • Malone Charlotte.
  • McCleavy Anna.
  • McDermott May.
  • McDonald Jean.
  • McGonnigal Isabel.
  • McHutchon Marie .
  • McMutteridge Agnes.
  • O'Donnell Kathy.
  • Obee Florence.
  • Puig Rhoda.
  • Rice Agnes.
  • Rodgers Jean.
  • Rogers Stella.
  • Smith Daphne Violet.
  • Speirs Vera.
  • Spoffortth Ellen .
  • Taylor Anna Mary.
  • Taylor Evelyn Margaret Frances.
  • Webster Doris Ellen.
  • Wight Minnie.

The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List

Records of Womens Timber Corps from other sources.



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Want to know more about Womens Timber Corps?


There are:1318 items tagged Womens Timber Corps available in our Library

  These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War.


Ellen Spoffortth

I was in the Womans Land Army for 3 1/2 years during WW2 in the Timber Corps.

Ellen Spoffortth



Olive Elizabeth Cunningham

My mother, Olive Cunningham was a Lumber Jill during World War 2. Unfortunately I don't know too many details of her time with the Timber Corps. I believe she joined after her husband (of less than a year) Thomas Fitzpatrick was killed in action in Sicily in 1943. She was married a day after she was 20 in 1942 and widowed at 20 on 3rd of August 1943. She spent her time in either Norfolk or Suffolk and was billeted with a lovely family, who I met when I was quite young. While she was in the Timber Corps she became friends with her future sister in law, Marjorie Gaine. Marjorie went on to marry my Mum's brother, Thomas. Through Marjorie she was introduced to my father, Stanley Gaine, who was Marjorie's brother. Unfortunately my mum died fairly young, aged 50, in 1972, followed closely by my dad in 1973 (age 45). I have some photos of her in her uniform out in the fields and some of the friends she made, during what was a very difficult time for her. It's so sad I didn't get to talk or reminisce about her life but am pleased, that through her tragic loss, she met my dad and had a short but happy life with 4 children.

Lesley Lordan



Florence Obee Women's Timber Corps

My mother was billeted in various places in Sussex during her time with the Timber Corp (Arundel Slinfold)




Mary Burgin

My grandma Mary Burgin served in the Timber Corps. She trained at Wetherby, then went to Leamington Spa, Staffordshire and Coventry before coming back to Yorkshire. Her best friend Peggy was Irish and came from Liverpool, her real name was Charlotte Malone. Does anyone remember my grandma?

Marie Robinson



Emily Bird

My aunt Emy Bird was in the Land Army Forestry Corps, between 1941 and 1944, she left Kings Cross to commence her training in Bury St. Edmunds in East Anglia before being sent to Shadoxhurst in Ashford in Kent, where she was billeted out for the rest her time until she married, and became Mrs Sallows.

The one girl she clearly remembers was Doreen Richards from Killburn, London, as they stayed together and became great friends. She has many photos of this time as one of the girls in the group prior to the war had been a photographer.

My aunt is now 93 years old and quite sound of mind, and wonders if there are any other girls from that time and area out there. She remembers the young chap who drove the tractor at that time desperate to join up, but after an accident had badly damaged his back he had been left behind with the women.




Anna Mary "Bobbie" Taylor

My dear old Mum, Anna Mary Taylor, will be 92 years old in January 2012. She is still very fit & active. She served in the Timber Corps during WW2 in the south east of England where she met my dad, Frederick Sutton (sadly no longer with us.) I would love to know if any of her pals are still out there!

Malcolm Sutton



Rhoda Puig

Our Nan, Rhoda Egan (nee Puig) was also at Culford (nr Bury St Edmunds) felling trees for use as pit props for the mines. Nan remembers having a toothache when she first arrived, and being sent to get the tooth pulled out that same week. She also remembers catching her foot with the axe during the summer and resting in the nurses station.

Nan often organised a coach back to London for other girls who wanted to go home for the weekend. She remembers Kay Beer (who married a Canadian), and being taken to visit a mine. She says she was given slips of paper in lieu of part of her wages, that could be cashed in after the war, but that she lost quite a few of the slips. Nan is now 88 and lives in Norfolk.

Olivia Dean



Joan Gertrude Ball (d. )

I first tried to join the Woman’s Land Army when I was 16 years old but had to wait until I was 17, I finally joined up in April of 1943, they asked me if I wanted to catch rats, I told them I was afraid of mice and rats and would rather join the Timber Corps. I had to report to Culford training camp at Bury St. Edmunds for 6 weeks, 2 weeks felling, 2 weeks sawmill and 2 weeks measuring, we had to get up at 5:30am to be ready for exercises at 6:00am.

My first posting was at Little Sandhurst, Crowthorne. A year later I was transferred to Hertford in Hertfordshire and worked at Bramfield with Italian prisoners of war felling, lopping, cutting and loading timber ready for shipping, after which a truck would pick us up and take us back to Hertford.

While I was in Crowthorne I met a Canadian soldier at the Aldershot army base, during this time I got married, went on a honeymoon to Scotland and returned to Hertford where I served until Feb. 1946. I joined up as Joan Ball and left as Joan Prentice.

Some of the girls I remember are Thelma Hope, Myrtle Bishop (nickname Lawry), Ruby Hedge (married name Morris), Irene Kelly, Peggy Brown (married name Castonguay, deceased), Francis MacLean (nickname Mac, deceased) Marjorie Millman, Della Smith & Daphne Smith (sisters)

Joan Bell

Barry Prentice



Evelyn Margaret Frances Taylor Timber Corps

My Mum, Evelyn Taylor joined the Womens Land Army when she was 18, all I know about that time is that she was billetted in a family house in Bath and worked sometimes in Bath but also in Bristol. She did mention that she was in the Timber Corp group and learnt to drive a tractor and used to chop down trees. When she met my Dad during her time in Bristol, she had a patch over one eye and her arm in a sling, I think she may have fallen from the tractor but not sure as she is no longer around to ask.

I have two photo's of my Mum in her working uniform as well as one of her in a more official uniform. She also mentioned that she had a photograph taken for what she believed to be war time promotional footage but never got to see anything to do with that. I have looked at various websites with different stories from Land Army women but I haven't seen anything mentioned about the Timber Corp in Bath. I would love to hear from anyone who may have known my Mum or been stationed at the same place and get to hear their stories.

Diane Frances Durrant



Marie McHutchon

I started work for the Benmore Forestry Commission at the age of 17, after leaving Dunoon Grammar School. In 1940 the Forestry Commission became the Women’s Land Army (FFG). I was married and became Mrs Kent in 1943 and had to resign from the Land Army when I moved to London. After the war I moved to Cornwall where I lived with my husband until he died in 1989. I have two children and 2 grandchildren. Since 2003 I have lived in Spain with my daughter, son in law and my grandson.

Marie Kent









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