1940s Land Girls : The Uniform

Ok, ok...I know...with the premier of Season 5 of Mad Men, I should be gushing with 1960s Mad Men-inspored posts.  But, I'm still enamored with the show that was supposed to be my "filler" until the return of Mad Men - Land Girls.  In honor of my finishing season 3 of this lovely BBC series, I'm taking a closer look at that iconic uniform!

WLA Dress Uniform

Women joining the Women's Land Army were issues a simple uniform consisting of 2 green sweaters, 2 pairs of brown breeches (either twill or corduroy), 1 pair of brown overalls, 6 pairs of brown long woolen socks, 3 shirts, a green tie, a pair of shoes, a pair of ankle boots, a pair of tall boots, 2 overcoats, 1 raincoat,  and a brown floppy hat or beret. 

Some images of the Australian WLA uniform

The iconic floppy brown hat

Happy Land Girls!

The WLA uniforms were often ill-fitting and/or weren't appropriate for the season or the work to be done.  Many of these crafty women altered their clothing.

Breeches into shorts

Those who worked for the Women's Land Army were not paid any enlisted services benefits following the war and only received recognition from the Queen in August 2009. Courtesy Brighton Museum.

The REAL Land Girls - 1940s Women's Land Army

For some strange reason, I came out of school (including grad school!) knowing about Bomb girls and Rosie the Riveter (the women who worked the factory and industrial jobs during the war), but never hearing the story of the women who replaced the male agricultural and forestry workers called up for war.   My first introduction to these women came just about a week ago via the BBC series Land Girls.  Since then, I've spent many hours combing the internet to learn the real story of these amazing women.

The Women's Land Army actually started during World War I in Britain.  As another war loomed, the Women's Land Army was resurrected in 1939 to ensure Britain had an ample food supply during.  Initially, the young women were mostly volunteers from the countryside,  but were quickly joined by women from London and northern industrial towns (making up about 1/3 of the WLA).  By 1941, women were being conscripted into service in the WLA.

     Work on the farms was hard, dirty, tiring and demanded a lot of sustained physical strength. The WLA were expected to harvest the crops, pitch wheat sheaves, feed the animals, milk cows, saw timber, sow seeds, dig ditches, hedging, and even mending tractors. "Over a thousand women were employed as rat-catchers, a very useful job given that each rat could eat about 50kg of food in a year.*"   Most of the WLA girls worked and lived on small farms, but some stayed in camps and were directed to Forestry Commission and War Agriculture land, working on larger farms or for the forestry service.

The WLA was also service in the US from 1943 - 47.  It continued in Britain until 1950 to help ease food shortages and rationing in the lean years just after the war.  Despite the often arduous work and sometimes unpleasant living conditions, it appears that many women enjoyed their work and made lasting friendships.  

A US-WLA ID card.  The story behind this card along with many wonderful letters can be found Letters from Land Army Camp.

What amazing stories these women have; they inspire me to do more and be more!  
 

 

Land Girls - my latest BBC obsession

 While desperately searching Netflix a few days ago (no TV in our house), I ran across the most lovely surprise...the BBC series Land Girls.   If you haven't seen it, you must.  Set in the 1940s, the show centers around women who are working on a rural farm to replace the male farmhands away because of the war.  Their interactions with each other and the locals are touching and humorous...there is scandal, romance, drama, and comedy.  And, best of all....the clothes! 

I'm still working on season 1 and am so excited that there are at least 2 more seasons ahead of me (don't spoil any plot for me)! 

Look for more to follow on the REAL land girls!