大象传媒

"This story was submitted to the People's War site by BARBARA COLLINS-NEWING from 大象传媒 KENT on behalf of Mrs D Bain and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions."

Dorothy Bain 鈥� Memoirs

My name is Dorothy Bain. I was seventeen when I joined the Land Army. I was at that time working at the Co-op in Folkestone, and, going home for lunch one day, I saw a big poster. It was of the WRENS and very attractive. I went home to my Mum & Dad and said I would like to join the WRENS. Dead silence. Then Dad spoke, 鈥淣ot with all those sailors, my girl鈥�. So that was the finish of that little episode!

Back to the Co-op I went and a few weeks later, up went another poster. This time it was for the Women鈥檚 Land Army. So again I came home and said, 鈥淚鈥檝e changed my mind, I鈥檇 like to join the Land Army鈥�. That was all right, everybody was agreeable. So I made inquiries and the outcome was that I went for an interview with a Mrs Harrowing, who lived at Etchinghill, and was sent to Canterbury for my medical and I was then told to wait for my clothes. I had been accepted.

My clothes arrived in a big tea chest. I had never seen so many clothes. There were dozens of everything 鈥� socks, jumpers, shirts, summer shirts, Sunday skirts, Sunday shoes, Sunday socks 鈥� a tea chest-full. My posting was to be at the Farthing Common, Lyminge, not far away from where I was living, and I was to work for Sir William Wayland who was an MP in London.

There were three other land girls and quite a few men on the staff. It was quite a big farm, and he had Jersey cows, sheep, pigs, chickens, a donkey and two or three carthorses. I went there as general help and if anyone was away sick I was told to go and help ie. you were told go into the chicken sheds today and feed the chicken, so you mixed the food up. Another time someone would be away in the dairy so I was shown how to milk a cow - later I got the regular job of milking the cows and looking after the poultry whenever anyone was away. I was really general dogsbody and I use to go out on the farm hoeing with a gang. At one time a lorry arrived at the farm gate and it was full of prisoners of war. The first to arrive were the Italians and they had to come out into the field and join us with the hoeing or whatever we were doing. The second lorry to arrive were German prisoners of war; I wondered about this because there was only one English soldier in charge, however they all got on brilliantly together.

I always had to report to the Foreman every morning at 7.30am and one morning when I arrived he said 鈥淒orothy, your going to take one of the horses (cart horse) to be shot.鈥� I said whereto and he replied 鈥淏rabourne.鈥�! At that time I did not even know where Brabourne was only that it was about five or six miles away. I was told where it was and what lanes I had to go down and they said the best way was to get on the back of the horse, well being only 5鈥� it was quite a struggle but I managed it with their help and I went all through the little country lanes not meeting anyone because it was wartime.

I finally reached the farriers at Brabourne and I looked inside there and it was like a big black hole with a large fire at the end of it and the Farrier came in and said 鈥渨hat do you want鈥�? I explained that I had come from Sir William Wayland鈥檚 farm and I had bought the horse to be shot. He said 鈥淚 can鈥檛 do it today you鈥檒l have to take him back鈥�. So back to the farm I went. Fortunately I had been told to take the horse鈥檚 nosebag along because he would need his food, I was also told that I should take my flask and lunch with me.

On the way back we stopped and Duke had his nosebag and I had my sandwiches and flask. When I got back to the farm and met the Foreman he said, 鈥渉as he been done鈥� I said 鈥渘o they could not do him today鈥�, so after a lot of muttering he said 鈥渘ever mind, you can take him to Elham tomorrow.鈥�

So the next morning my job was to take Duke to Elham. I walked from the Farthing, Lyminge right through to Elham. Luckily on arriving the Farrier said, its alright I can do him today, are you going to stay? I thought well I am not going to walk right back to the Farthing and back again, so I stayed and I sat on the wall and ate my lunch. He attended to the horse, I walked back to the farm and peace reigned once more.

That was one of my experiences and as I had previously been an Assistant in the Co-op Drapery Store, it was quite an adventure!

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