The Women´s Timber Corps

Trinidad Monzón, Diana Serrano, and Francisco Fernández

THE WOMEN'S TIMBER CORPS (WTC)

The Women's Timber Corps (WTC), which had a precedent in the First World War, was created in April 1942, in order to replace forestry men workers that had left to join the armed forces. Their members were coloquially known as the "Lumber Jills" and they were part of the Women Land Army (WLA), forestry section, although with their own identity. In fact both, WLA and WTC, have the same uniform except for a beret hat and a tree badget, which we can see on page 9 in the book What did you do in the war, mum? We suppose that lumberjills wore the beret just in some formal acts, since they didn't use to wear it in the photographs we have seen on the Internet and the ones in the book. They were under the responsibility of the Ministry of Supply (Home Timber Production Department).

Thousands of young women joined the WTC during World War II. We can see the figures given by the Ministry of Supply in the historical document that appears in the book, on page 11, a message of best wishes sent to the members of WTC for the new year (1943): 1,000 in April, at the moment it was created, and over 3,000 at the end of that year. Afterwards, members rose to 4,600 and to 6,000, according to registered data.

To join the WTC, first they had to pass a medical examination and then they were sent to a training camp for about a month, in order to learn how to handle instruments like axes and saws properly and safely to work in forestry cutting wood, felling trees, making pit props, and so an, as Prim explains very clearly in the book (pages 9,10). In that period they were used to be billeted in huts, 9 to 12 women in each one, with different levels of comfort. In some, as in Rosalind's camp in the Highlands, there wasn't running water, while others, like Prim's, seem quite comfortable "There were twelve of us in each hut, with fires each end and nice beds, toilets and showers. The food was fantastic and we got a damn good breakfast" (page 9).

After that training period, they were sent to a specific destination, a saw mill near Salisbury in the case of Prim, where they did all sorts of jobs "delivering firewood, loading wood into trains, making struts for ceilings and I did coffin wood" (page10). Edna Holand was sent to a Lumberjills' camp where they cut trees down into pit props. Rosalind was a horsewoman, which involved not only the duties of caring for the horses but also the dangerous job of attaching chains to fallen logs and to the horses without getting entangled. "I was a bit small and I was quick and agile, so I was god at it", she says. Christina Forrester cut down trees by hand to make everything, from railway sleepers to pit props. In their new destination they could be billeted in huts or in private houses, with local families, as in the case of Prim, who lived with a woman and her child.

Lumberjills, as we have seen, worked very hard all over Great Britain, felling, cutting wood, loading it into lorries or trains, driving tractors and trucks, operating saw mills,etc. They used to start at 7.30 or 8 am and to finish at 4.30 or 5 pm and they were paid from 35 to 50 shillings a week. But according to Prim's account, they had to give away part of their salary for accommodation. They had free time at the weekend, from Saturday afternoon to Monday, which they tried to enjoy doing what they liked. For instance, Prim used to go to Salisbury to have tea and go to the theatre with the girl she shared her billet with, and sometimes they cycled nearby. Others, like Rosalind and Edna, were keen on dancing.

The work of the WTC was very important to the war effort, as it is recognised by the Ministry of Supply "As more young men have to be called to the Forces, the Women's Timber Corps must play a still bigger part in production through the critical offensive year of 1943. Timber is one of the bulkiest imports, the more timber you produce or help to produce, the more ships are released for the offensive" (page 11). It supplied not only wooden material for building ships, but also for pit props (the structure necessary to work in mines), for telegraph poles, railway construction, for heating (firewood), for some armament manufacturers, for packaging and also for coffins.

Finally, we must refer to the personal balance Limberjills made of that period of their lives. They recognise that work was tough, as Rosalind says "Oh, it was hard work, we were mostly city girls and the blisters and the cuts and the wounds, it was a very dangerous job”. But at the same time, in Edna's words: "We knew how important it was for the war. I felt really proud of our contribution". Moreover, the experience made them more confident and stronger, not only physically "My goodness we got muscles everywhere, but it made us feel really good" (Edna), but also mentally. As Prim explains on page11, when she got released to go back to her job, she asked her boss for an increase of her salary " It certainly made me stronger (...) Before the war I never would have done it". Women also recognise the more personal autonomy they experienced and the good relationship among themselves.

The WTC was disbanded in 1946 and each member received a letter signed by Queen Elisabeth. That was the only official recognition until 2000, when they were allowed to take part in the Remembrance parade in London. Seven years later, the British government granted a new badge to all surviving members of the WTC. In Scotland, which had its own WTC, they have two commemorative statues, inaugurated in 2007 and 2014.

SOURCES:

https://www.womenslandarmy.co.uk/lumber-jill-veteran-joy-smith-interview-and-photos/
http://www.womenstimbercorps.com/my_story.htm
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-31150300
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/the-northerner/2012/jun/07/blogpost-womens-timber-corps-appeal-for-veteran-lumberjills
https://scotland.forestry.gov.uk/activities/heritage/world-war-two/womens-timber-corps
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/mobile/uk_news/7212310.stm#sa-link_location=more-story-2&intlink_from_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fnews%2Fuk-scotland-tayside-central-31150300&intlink_ts=1544206015882&story_slot=1-sa
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_Timber_Corps
https://www.womenslandarmy.co.uk/world-war-two/the-timber-corps-lumber-jills/
https://vimeo.com/19209720
"What Did You Do In The War, Mum? (1985), edited by Pam Schweitzer,Lorraine Hilton and Jane Moss (ISBN 0-947860-07-X), Age Exchange, London, 2000.

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