Land Girl dungarees with real pockets, top and head scarf

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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. There was also an official magazine The Land Girl, and a special song: The index cards in the collection have the potential to include all, or some, of the following information: The index cards only contain information about those individuals who participated in the Land Army in the Second World War. The online images and indexes exclude individuals born less than 100 years ago. To learn more about the Women’s Land Army in general, read this blog on the The Women’s Land Army in eight documents. ladies fashionalso saw the advent of the war time land girl in her brown twill overall, worn over a forest green sweater, her waist nipped in with a broad warm brown belt.

Take40s ladies fashionfor a modern ride by pairing the unexpected of40s stylewith your modern wardrobe basics for your own unique blend of old and new, main street and high street, haute couture and trendy looks.

And mow – our Women on the Land.’ From the Women’s Land Army Handbook containing the Land Army Song. Catalogue ref: MAF 59/2 ladies fashionwould not be complete without the iconic hair styles of1940s women. Hair was worn long and curly, tied up during the day for practical work, then styled elaborately for evening events. The WLA came under the control of the Ministry of Agriculture, but its head was the formidable Lady Denman. Married to the former Governor General of Australia, Lady Denman was a leading figure in the Women's Institute movement, and also had a close interest in rural affairs. Her home, Balcombe Place in Sussex, became the WLA headquarters. Each district had its own WLA representative, who was expected to ensure the Land Girls were being treated well and were working effectively. Before the Second World War, Britain had imported much of its food. When war broke out, it was necessary to grow more food at home and increase the amount of land in cultivation. With many male agricultural workers joining the armed forces, women were needed to provide a new rural workforce.

Complete your Land Girl ensemble with thoughtful accessories. Practicality was always prioritised over fashion, but Land Girls found ways to add personal touches to their uniform. Headscarves were a common accessory as they helped to keep their hair out of the way while working. Consider donning a patterned vintage scarf to add a touch of personality to your look. Additionally, Land Girls would wear wide-brimmed hats for extra protection from the sun or rain. A vintage style basket bag would be the perfect way to carry your belongings. The Land Girls did a wide range of jobs, including milking cows, lambing, managing poultry, ploughing, gathering crops, digging ditches, catching rats and carrying out farm maintenance work. Some 6,000 women worked in the Timber Corps, chopping down trees and running sawmills. women also adopted the ultra-feminine shape of thetea dressinfloral printsand a fittedhigh waist, worn with wedge heels or oxfords. Theland girlwould also swap out her regulation40s stylegreen sweater for a bobble-embellished or popcorn knit confection in bubble gum pink or sky blue, layered over her sensible brown overalls. In this blog post, I explore what these records can tell us about women in the Land Army, and focus on a few of the women we can find in these records. What can these index cards tell us?

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The Women’s Land Army was established in January 1917 to help increase the amount of food grown within Britain. It was wound up in 1919 and then re-established shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War in June 1939. At first it asked for volunteers. This was supplemented by conscription and at its peak in 1944 over 80,000 women worked as Land Girls. They replaced the male farm workers who had gone to war and made agriculture their wartime profession to ensure that the nation didn’t starve.

The Land Girls were known for their instantly recognisable uniform which included practical breeches or dungarees, green jumpers and brown felt hats. They also often wore a green tie and the WLA badge which depicted a wheat sheaf as a symbol of their agricultural work. As the Women’s Land Army wasn’t a military force, the uniform was not compulsory to wear. Authorities often waited before issuing kit as women’s bodies changed dramatically with the heavy manual labour. Garments needed to be made using the least amount of cloth but still be able to keep up with the amount of work the girls were doing. Their clothing needed to be warm, weatherproof and durable. The full uniform issue was as follows:The Women's Land Army (WLA) made a significant contribution to boosting Britain's food production during the Second World War. The overalls are a small to medium size. They are designed to be worn over clothing allowing for plenty of free movement. When laid flat they measure - Small annotations on the records can help you learn about an individual’s wider life. For example, there might be a comment to suggest someone was discharged for medical or compassionate reasons. At times it might say dismissed for not following regulations. On the card of MrsBeryl Holmes it was noted that she left the service as she was ‘setting up home for husband’. Many women left the service when they got married or became pregnant. World War II Women’s Land Army Index Card of Amy Rosina Hope. Catalogue ref: MAF 421/1 Vera Nancy Horn

This blog has explored just a little of the potential of these records. With these records now being more accessible, we should be able to learn much more about the everyday women who served in the Women’s Land Army. Land Girls were expected to work long hours for the war effort with very little free time. Some had one day off per week but others might only get one weekend off per month. It was not until 1943 that Land Girls had the legal right to one week’s paid holiday time per year. In their very limited leisure time, Land Girls were encouraged to do whatever they could for the war effort with many of them putting on events as a fun way of fundraising. This included dances, quizzes, tea parties, whist drives, sports tournaments, stage productions and craft fairs. During these events many Land Girls would continue to wear their uniforms but some would opt for tea dresses or two-piece skirt suits. Our very appropriately named Lumber Jill dress would be a perfect example of the kind of dress they would wear outside of work. Mum (23) and Elsie (21) are both smiling and happy atop their vehicle. Mum’s in dungarees that she cut down for dungarees for me, 10 years later. I wonder if Elsie did the same for her kids. Land girls did a wide variety of jobs on the land. They worked in all weathers and conditions and could be directed to work anywhere in the country.She then telephoned for the Fire Brigade and ambulance. For this Vera was recommended for a gallantry award. Amelia King The Land Army was disbanded in 1950. Although the work was hard, conditions were often bad and the pay was low, many women enjoyed the experience, and formed lifelong friendships with fellow Land Girls. Theland girlof40s fashionput her own spin on her land army uniform, layering playful blouses infloral prints, Peter Pan collars and puffed sleeves under her overalls. An original pair of Women's Land Army Dungarees dating from the Second World War and in good condition.