Dear Blogger
The Village Home Front
THE WOMEN`S LAND ARMY or LAND GIRLS
Joining the Women`s Land Army was a way for girls to have some independence, work in the fresh air, cold, mud, rain, snow, and more mud - and perhaps lecherous old farmers!
Lots more information from here - https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/what-was-the-womens-land-army
Before the Second World War, Britain had imported much of its food. When war broke out, it was necessary to grow more food at home and increase the amount of land in cultivation. With many male agricultural workers joining the armed forces, women were needed to provide a new rural workforce.
The WLA had originally been set up in 1917 but disbanded at the end of the First World War. It reformed in June 1939. Women were initially asked to volunteer to serve in the Land Army and, from December 1941, could also be conscripted into land work. At its peak in 1944, there were more than 80,000 women – often known as 'land girls' – in the WLA.
Land girls did a wide variety of jobs on the land. They worked in all weathers and conditions and could be directed to work anywhere in the country.
Before the Second World war - Britain had imported much of its food - that sounds very familiar in 2025, and now so many fields are covered in houses, industrial estates and even solar panels. Could we possibly grow our own food in this day and age?
Yoland
