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I was a member of the Women’s Land Army from March 1942, staying in hostels and farms in the old counties of Westmorland and Cumberland. Although the work was very hard, I enjoyed the camaraderie of the girls that I met. I still correspond with some of them after all these years.
We sometimes worked with the Italian and German P.O.W.’s. I remember one German called Gerhard. Everyone called him Guard as it was easier to say. He was always talking about the Black Forest.
I ‘lived in’ on one farm and found it very lonely. Our drinking water was pumped manually from a well, and we used the rain water for washing. It was wonderful for our hair.
Going out for the evening to the village dance was fun, but I struggled by the light of three candles to put my make-up on. On cold winter mornings, it was nice and warm in the cow shed when I went to milk the cows. It was done by hand of course in those days.
I also worked in a threshing gang, a dirty job, with the old threshing machines belching out black smoke. Before we were allowed back into our billet, we had to take off our green jumpers and shake off all the chaff and barley husks.
We had some good meals on the farms. Threshing was a big event with people coming from nearby farms to help. The women used to cook a lot of food for the occasion. We were always hungry. I suppose it was working out in the open air that made us so. That was one good reason for going to Chapel on Sundays: To scoff the tea and buns at the end of the service.
I helped with the rat catching too. One of my jobs on one farm I worked at, was to count the sheep first thing in the morning. I used to dread it and prayed that they would all be there. If they weren’t, it was my job to find them.

Myra Gifford.
Port Isaac, Cornwall.

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