Landgirl

Catalogue Reference:(JML) 979.2

A member of the Women's Land Army takes a break from haymaking at Shenley in Hertfordshire. The picture was taken between 1941 and 1944. Before World War Two Britain imported most of its food. In order for the country to be able to feed itself in wartime, it was essential to grow as much as possible, particularly wheat, and there was pressure to maximise the amount of land under cultivation. The Women's Land Army took over the tasks formerly carried out by male agricultural workers who had gone into the armed forces. For some women working on the land was a life-changing experience and they never went back to their former jobs.