Mrs Hotchen of the Women's Land Army driving a tractor

Women's Land Army

The Government needed to re-vitalise home agriculture, fearing food shortages. The Women's Land Army (W.L.A) was formed to provide the extra labour needed, as men were being called up for the armed forces.

By 1939, there were 39.000 women working on the land. By 1943, there were 75,000 and at the end of the war they comprised 65,000 of the total 204,000 doing land work.  After the war many 'Land Girls' (as they were nicknamed) stayed on even though they were only paid £1 2s a week after paying board and lodgings.