Description
Object description
British land girl with Women's Land Army in GB, 1939-1949
Content description
REEL 1 Background in GB, 1921-1939: employment as domestic servant in boarding house in Folkestone; working hours and pay; family; early employment; lack of travel prior to outbreak of Second World War; memories of outbreak of Second World War, 3/9/1939. Recollections of enlistment and training with Women's Land Army in GB, 1939-1940: applying to join Women's Land Army; attitude to prospect of farm work; move to Wye College; age range of fellow recruits; initial experience of milking.
REEL 2 Continues: training with shire horses and carts; training with shepherd; character of training received; how recruits managed with training. Recollections of period as land girl with Women's Land Army in GB, 1940-1949: opinion of Women's Land Army officials in East Kent area; meeting employer on arrival at first farm; interval between finishing college and first job; uniform; making alterations to uniform.
REEL 3 Continues: physical nature of work and pay; obtaining first job; opinion of first employer; description of farm; living conditions; degree of fitness; carrying truss of hay; daily routine; relations with farm workers; attending thatching course near Sittingbourne; employment as under cowman on farm; farm duties; working with bull; question of accidents on farm; effects of injury to arm.
REEL 4 Continues: rat catching on farm; use of pesticides; story of throwing man out of milk shed; milk ration; pay; working hours; social activities and attitude towards work; leave; need to walk; degree of contact with Women's Land Army organisation; complaints system; leave spent in cottage; raising money for Women's Land Army Benevolent Fund; impact of war on mother; sight of Supermarine Spitfire crashing and attempts to save pilot; German Air Force activity in East Kent area; issue of tin helmets; attitude towards German air activity.
REEL 5 Continues: story of German incendiary attack; question of village community sprit; reasons for leaving Women's Land Army; taking proficiency test and service badges; attitude towards period with Women's Land Army.