The Wartime Memories Project - The Womens Land Army




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World War 2 Two II WW2 WWII 1939 1945

The Womens Land Army was established during the First World War, with huge numbers of men volunteering to fight, the country was desperately short of labour.

During the fist six months of the Second World War, over thirty thousand men previously working in agriculture had joined the forces. The government re-formed The Women's Land army and by 1944 there were 80,000 women volunteers working on the land. About a third of the volunteers moved to the countryside from Britain's industrial cities.

Women in the Land Army wore green jerseys, brown breeches and brown felt hats. They did a wide range of jobs from milking and general farmwork to cutting down trees and working in sawmills as well as controling pests such as rats. Volunteers lived in hostels or on the farms where they worked. The work was very hard, the women worked long hours, especially during the summer, but without their efforts Britain would have been without enough food to survive.

The Womens Land Army was also established in many countries outside of Britain, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand and America to replace the men who had gone to war.

The Womens Land Army for those who served in England, Scotland and Wales: Records are available to view on microfiche at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey. The microfilm you need to ask for is:

Series: MAF 421: Ministry of Food: Women's Land Army: Index to Service Records of the Second World War 1939-1948.

It has recently been anounced that the service of the Land Army Girls is to be recognised. If you served in the WLA the commemorative badge can be applied for;

To apply for the badge you need to complete an application form, these are available by writting to: Women's Land Army Unit, Defra, 5E Millbank, c/o 17 Smith Square, LONDON, SW1P 3JR

Email: womenslandarmy@defra.gsi.gov.uk or Telephone: Defra Helpline 08459 335577 (this has a push button selection system)

Or you can Click here to Download the Application Form

For further information please see the Defra website by clicking here.



If you or your relative served with the Womens Land Army or Timber Corps, we would love to hear from you.


Please contact us:

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