1939 - Land Army poster
By the beginning of the war there was a severe shortage of men to work on Britain's farms. Most had enlisted in the army, but many had left agriculture because of the low wages. It became vital to produce more food at home because the German U-boat campaign was preventing food supplies from overseas from reaching our shores.
The government decided to re-form the Women's Land Army (first set up in World War 1). By November 1939, 25,000 young women from towns and cities as well as from the countryside had volunteered to work on the land. They wore a uniform of green jumpers, brown trousers and brown felt hats and did many jobs around the farms such as milking, ploughing and bringing in the harvest. The Women's Land Army helped to keep Britain supplied with food during the whole of the war and by the time it was disbanded in 1950 over 90,000 women had taken part in the scheme.
Forty Land Girls were billeted at Brampton House in Chapel Brampton and worked on farms in Spratton and the surrounding area. They played an important part in keeping the country self-sufficient in food.
Image Reference: 1381
Related Searches: War 1939-1945 | 1930 | 1940