大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War website by Allan Price on behalf of Mary Barclay and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

I was born in Glasgow and being the youngest of five children it was a rather daunting experience being conscripted into the Land Army during WW2. As my brothers and sister were already serving in the services I was given the choice of Ammunitions or the Land Army. I chose the latter which turned out to be a very satisfying and rewarding experience.

In April I travelled by train to Aberdeen and then again by train to Turriff. I was met at the station and taken to Crossbrae - a farm just outside Turriff. I served my apprenticeship with Mr and Mrs H Simpson who treated me just like a daughter. My duties involved milking the cows (not my favourite chore), cleaing out the henhouses and putting in fresh straw, and helping Mrs Simpson make the butter. Not the kind of work a city girl was used to!

My favourite time of the year was the harvest time - especially on a dry day - certainly not if it was raining and the sheaves were soaking! While there I bought my bike (with instalments) which enabled me to get to the country dances - definitely one of the perks.

After Crossbrae I was moved to Balquholly between Turriff and Aucherless - a big house turned into a hostel. There were a group of girls who were taken by lorry at 8am every morning to pick "tatties" until 5pm. Our only break was to have a sandwich, so by the evening we were ravenous and exhausted. Many of the girls found it very hard to pick "tatties" on a cold, frosty morning.

From there I went to Seggat - just outside Turriff - to work for Mr W Henderson. There I lived in the farmhouse and my duties were to carry the milk from the cow sheds, sterilise it, and put it into cans. Occasionally I helped with the accounts. The bike again came into its own. I used to cycle to the country dances. It was while at Seggat that I met Ronald - a young butcher, unable to enter the services due to an injury. He was to become my husband and the father of my four children. Was it fate that brought a city girl to the north east of Scotland? Al I know is that now I am eighty six, I have no regrets at all living in this beautiful part of Scotland.

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