WLA

Women’s Land Army

Belén Mármol, Lola González Grados, Estela del Carmen Ortiz, and Juan Valdezate

Lord Fisher, the first Lord of the sea before the First World War, synthesized very well the dependence of the island on commerce and foreign agriculture saying that 'in order to drink tea, the English must import everything except coal and water'.

It was created during World War One by the government to replace the men who worked in farms. The WLA was originally set up in 1917 but it 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, they 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.

Recruitment poster. WLA

Women of the Australian Women's Land Army at Work (c. 1941-1943)

The presence of women workers on the country's farms continued from the first year of operation through 1945. At that point, however, the WLA placement of women in the fields decreased and then ceased as farmers and farm laborers returned home. Female farm workers recruited and placed by the WLA, who had been considered temporary labor assistance during the war, did not, for the most part, continue their agricultural employment into 1946.

Although the program ended in 1945, women remained in the fields, either as private hirees or as members of the Emergency Farm Labor Program. Undoubtedly, the WLA changed the role that women played in agriculture during the early 1940s. By bringing women back to the fields in some regions and expanding the workforce in others, the WLA altered the structure of farm labor. And these changes were not restricted to agriculture as women reentered or joined the workforce in all areas of the economic sector of society.

They came from a wide variety of backgrounds, with more than one third from London and other large cities.

Functions

Providing food and doing whatever was required in a farm:

threshing
ploughing
tractor driving
reclaiming land
drainage
milking cows
Picking
Choppep
Growths
Plucking

Women's Land Army (WLA)

1939

25th January: A National Service handbook lists the ‘Women’s Land Army’ as one of the civilian organisations which women could volunteer to join in the event of war.

1st June: The Women’s Land Army is re-formed, with Lady Gertrude Denman as Honorary Director. Recruitment begins for Land Girls in earnest.

29th August: Lady Denman sets up the Women’s Land Army headquarters at her home, Balcombe Place, Hayward Heath, West Sussex.

1945

January: Special consideration given to Land Girls who had been in the Land Army for 3 or more years who want to transfer to their home counties.

World War One recruitment poster. (WLA was created during the Frist and Second World War).

Land Army Women drinking milk while resting.

Working Time

They worked 50 hours in a summer week and 48 hours in winter.

There was minimal training and most women were expected to learn about agricultural work while they were actually doing it. The Land Girls lived either on the farms where they worked, or in hostels.

Uniform

There was a Land Army uniform of green jumpers, brown breeches or dungarees, brown felt hats and khaki overcoats. As the Land Army was not a military force, however, uniform was not compulsory. The WLA badge depicted a wheat sheaf as a symbol of their agricultural work.

WLA badge

Wage

Initially, Land Girls earned £1.85 for a minimum of 50 hours’ work a week. In 1944, wages were increased by £1 to £2.85. However, as the wages were paid by the farmer, rather than directly by the state, it was difficult to ensure that everyone was paid properly.

This depended on the farmers because some took in money for accommodation and food. Initially there were no holidays, paid or unpaid, just a free travel pass after six months. However, conditions improved after 1943 with the introduction of the 'Land Girls Charter'. This introduced one week's holiday per year and raised the minimum wage.

To join, they had to pass an interview and a medical check-up. Then, if they were accepted, they should do some training.

Three members of the Women’s Land Army raise their hoes in salute. Copyright: © IWM (Q 30678).

Accommodation

Many land girls lived in at the farms where they worked. However, in many rural areas, living conditions could be very basic and the lifestyle lonely. As larger numbers of women were recruited, hostels were set up to house land girls.

Land reclamation

As part of the drive to produce extra food, the Government needed more land to be turned over for food production. Efforts were made to transform areas of land previously unsuitable for farming. Heavy machinery such as excavators and tractors, often operated by land girls, were needed to carry out this work.

Promotional material, Australian Women's Land Army, c. 1942

POW

Land girls were not the only additional work force available to farmers. By 1943, there were almost 40,000 Italian prisoners of war working on British farms. In some places they worked alongside land girls. The general public was also encouraged to help out with farm work, especially at harvest time. This was seen as a cheap way of taking a holiday in the countryside. Special camps were set up to accommodate volunteers.

Another function

Pests such as rats posed a serious threat to supplies of food and animal fodder on British farms. During wartime, there were thought to be over 50 million rats in Britain. To help counter this threat, teams of land girls were trained to work in anti-vermin squads. Land girls in anti-vermin squads also were also trained to kill foxes, rabbits and moles.

Girls of the Womens' Land Army (Pests Department)

Land girl’s song:

Back to the Land, we must all lend a hand, To the farms and the fields we must go, There's a job to be done, Though we can't fire a gun, We can still do our bit with the hoe

Sources:

https://www.womenslandarmy.co.uk/world-war-two/https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/history/special-features/veterans-stories/great-search-stories/womens-land-army-played-importanthttps://invisiblefarmer.net.au/blog/2017/8/28/shining-a-light-on-the-australian-womens-land-army-1942-1945https://www.pinterest.com/Historian1915/womens-land-army/https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1993/winter/landarmy.htmlhttp://www.womenstimbercorps.com/uniform.htmhttps://youtu.be/NbkJnzvKQvUhttps://youtu.be/NbkJnzvKQvU

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