By Todd DePastino
Bill Bonnamy’s website dedicated to the 319th Glider Field Artillery, 82nd Airborne Division has collected a wide-ranging archive of information related to everywhere, everyone, and everything the 82nd Airborne Division encountered in World War II.
One of those persons was the wonderful Pat Fox, who lived in Lubenham, Market Harborough, UK, snd served in the Women’s Land Army. In 1944, Pat met an American soldier named Leroy Petersen, an anti-aircraft machine gunner with the HQ-Battery of the 319th. Leroy was stationed at Papillon Hall in Market Harborough.
Pat and Leroy became a couple. When he said goodbye before the D-Day landings, they both knew it might be the last time they ever saw each other. Leroy Petersen was killed in action during the D-Day glider landings on June 6, 1944.
Watch this 30-minute video posted on the website where Pat talks about the war years and her role in the Women’s Land Army.
The British Women’s Land Army is a fascinating but little-known aspect of homefront life in World War II.
The British called women like Pat Fox “Land Girls,” and over 80,000 of them served in quasi-military roles to bolster domestic food production at a time of critical scarcity.
The British Board of Agriculture had created the Women’s Land Army (WLA) in 1917 during World War I when agricultural labor shortages threatened the nation’s food supply. Some 27,000 women had joined before the WLA before it was disbanded with the signing of the Versailles Treaty in 1919.
Twenty years later, in 1939, war loomed again, and the Ministry of Agriculture reinstated the WLA. Initially reliant on volunteers, the WLA began conscripting women into service by December 1941. By 1944, at its peak, the organization had over 80,000 members working across Britain.
The WLA’s primary mission was to increase domestic food production. Before the war, Britain had relied heavily on imported food, but German U-boat attacks on merchant ships made this unsustainable. To mitigate the crisis, more land was cultivated, and the WLA provided the workforce needed to ensure its productivity.
The WLA drew women from all walks of life, with a significant number coming from cities like London and other urban centers. Posters and advertisements portrayed an idyllic rural lifestyle, enticing women with promises of fresh air and wholesome work. By the autumn of 1941, over 20,000 women had joined, many from urban areas unfamiliar with rural life.
Training was tailored to meet the immediate needs of farms and could be as short as a few weeks. New recruits were taught essential skills like planting, harvesting, and operating machinery. Specialized training centers prepared recruits for tasks like dairy farming and pest control.
Life as a Land Girl was often grueling. Members worked 48 hours a week in winter and 50 in summer, performing physically demanding tasks such as plowing fields, milking cows, and mending fences. Work continued in all weather conditions, reflecting the urgency of their mission.
Accommodations varied widely. Some women lived on the farms where they worked, often in rustic and isolated conditions. Others resided in 700 hostels set up by the government to house large groups of Land Girls. These communal settings fostered camaraderie, but the lifestyle could still be lonely.
The WLA issued a uniform to its members, including a brown coat, breeches, green jumpers, and sturdy boots. While practical, the uniform came with strict regulations. Buttons were detachable for easy repair, and the garments were designed to withstand the rigors of farm work. The uniform became a symbol of the Land Girls’ identity and dedication.
Around 25% of Land Girls worked in dairy farming, tending to cows, milking, and ensuring the production of vital dairy products.
Other teams were trained to manage vermin that threatened food supplies. Some Land Girls became expert rat catchers, with reports of teams killing thousands of rats annually. They also managed foxes, rabbits, and moles, which posed risks to crops.
The Women’s Timber Corps, or “Lumber Jills,” was established in 1942. These women felled trees and prepared timber for use as pit props and telegraph poles. Around 6,000 women served in this capacity.
Some Land Girls worked in gardens or at institutions like Kew Gardens, maintaining vital botanical resources. At Kew Gardens, Land Girls planted chamomile to camouflage airfields, showcasing their role in innovative wartime efforts.
Others were involved in reclamation projects, transforming previously unsuitable land, such as the fenlands of East Anglia, into arable farmland.
The Land Girls faced numerous challenges, including skepticism from farmers accustomed to male workers. Despite their proven abilities, they were often paid less than men. The minimum wage for Land Girls was 28 shillings per week, with deductions for board and lodging. This was significantly lower than the average wage for male agricultural workers, which was 38 shillings per week.
Initially, the WLA did not provide holidays. It wasn’t until 1943, with the introduction of the “Land Girls’ Charter,” that conditions improved. The charter granted one week of annual leave and increased wages slightly.
The WLA played a crucial role in reshaping societal perceptions of women’s capabilities. By demonstrating their resilience and ability to handle demanding agricultural tasks, Land Girls challenged traditional gender roles. Their contribution to the war effort highlighted the importance of women’s labor beyond domestic settings.
Post-war, cultural depictions of the WLA in films, novels, and memoirs celebrated their work and sacrifice. These portrayals ensured that the legacy of the Land Girls remained a part of Britain’s collective memory.
In some areas, Land Girls worked alongside Italian prisoners of war, underscoring the diversity of Britain’s wartime labor force.
After the war, the Women’s Land Army was disbanded in 1950. In the years that followed, Land Girls struggled to gain recognition. It wasn’t until 2008 that the British government formally acknowledged their role with a commemorative badge.
