Add Information to Record of a Person who served during the Second World War on The Wartime Memories Project Website
Add Information to Record of a Person who served during the Second World War on The Wartime Memories Project Website
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Frances Ellen Gathercole
Land Army
My Grandmother Mrs Frances Ellen Rutterford (nee Gathercole) was one of the land army girls, working on farms in the area of Burnt Fen, a small hamlet Nr Mildenhall Suffolk. Unfortunately she passed away in 2007 aged 86. It wasn't until the family was going through old photos etc. after her death that we found her enrolment certificate, her leaving certificate and a letter from the late Queen mother thanking her for all her hard work. She had never told any one about receiving the letter, so it was a complete shock and honour to find.
I am in correspondence to see if it would be at all possible for my dad to collect her land arm recognition badge in her honour but I am being told no. This is a matter that I feel very strongly about, after all the girls kept the nations going while our men were fighting. If a soldier got killed at war their families are allowed to accept their medals in their honour so why shouldn't we be able to do the same. I would love to know if anyone else out there feels the same. We also have her uniform, an arm band and her medals from the time. Receiving the new recognition badge in the honour of ladies who did their best to keep everything going in our men's absence and succeeded is all we are asking for.