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They Fought in the Fields: The Women's Land Army: The Story of a Forgotten Victory
The Women's Land Army was the forgotten victory of the Second World War. While troops fought on the front line, a battalion of young women joined up to take their place as agricultural workers. Despite many of them coming from urban backgrounds, these fearless, cheerful girls learnt how to look after farm land, operate and repair machinery, rear and manage farm animals, harvest crops and provide the work force that was badly needed in the years of the war. Back-breaking work such as thinning crops, continuous hoeing and digging made way for disgusting tasks such as rat-killing. Yet despite it all, the land girls were exuberant, fun-loving and hard-working, and became known for their articulate, feisty, humorous and modest attitude. It therefore comes as no surprise that despite hostility and teasing at the beginning, these robust farm workers won the hearts of the nation, and at the disbandment of the Land Army in the 1950s, the farming community were forced to eat their words. With delightful photographs documenting the camaraderie of the Land Army and real-life memories from those who joined, this nostalgic look at one of the real success stories of the Second World War will make modern women stand proud of what their grandmothers achieved in an era before our own.
242 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 22, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 23, 2021
I’ve read scores of books about all aspects of WWII, have spent a month in the rural UK and for a short while was the agricultural editor for a California newspaper but had never heard of the Women’s Land Army. How can that be?
These 100,000 women over 11 years helped save their country from Hitler and somewhat quietly struck a blow for female patriotism and true feminism. Without doubt, they belong in the pantheon of “The Greatest Generation�
It s a crime that they are largely unknown in the U.S. and largely forgotten in the country they helped to persevere. This book strikes a blow to keep their efforts from fading from memory. It’s a five star read except for many British agricultural colloquial terms that sent me to the dictionary without success.
These 100,000 women over 11 years helped save their country from Hitler and somewhat quietly struck a blow for female patriotism and true feminism. Without doubt, they belong in the pantheon of “The Greatest Generation�
It s a crime that they are largely unknown in the U.S. and largely forgotten in the country they helped to persevere. This book strikes a blow to keep their efforts from fading from memory. It’s a five star read except for many British agricultural colloquial terms that sent me to the dictionary without success.
January 28, 2022
FANTASTIC!!
Fantastic novel, so many things I would have never known about this little appreciated army of women. The novel, while openly discouraging the unfaithful war posters for the WLA, still
makes me wish I could have been a member.
Fantastic novel, so many things I would have never known about this little appreciated army of women. The novel, while openly discouraging the unfaithful war posters for the WLA, still
makes me wish I could have been a member.
July 8, 2023
Fascinating
Clear insight into a much overlooked portion of history. Well researched and absorbing. Made me feel pride of our womenfolk
Clear insight into a much overlooked portion of history. Well researched and absorbing. Made me feel pride of our womenfolk
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
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