大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by a volunteer from CCSV / 大象传媒 Radio Nottingham on behalf of Doug Phillips and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

When war broke out I worked on a farm which was taken over by the County War Agricultural Committee.
I had wanted to sign up for the Army, but they cancelled all my call up. I had to do as I was told. I was an experienced tractor driver and good at ploughing.
The Committee took over all the tractors and then contracted them out to other farms with people like myself as drivers. Originally we covered farms over a wide area, but later I was part of a group in the Epperstone area of Nottinghamshire.
All the farms were instructed to plough up and farm their grasslands. It was my job to help them to plough and drill the land. I worked from 7am until 8pm. The farmers then grew wheat, sugar beet etc. on the land.
I was a class one driver and so earned a bit more than the others. I spent some time teaching other drivers. I still see one of the lads I taught. He was then aged only seventeen.
We worked with the Land Girls. Some brought out different machinery for us to use during the day. Some brought us fuel to refuel the tractors. Some worked threshing machines. The wheat was cut into sheaves and then stacked up to dry.
In 1944 on Palm Sunday there was a big parade through Nottingham. All our agricultural machines were in the parade. The town was full of people. The parade started at the Cattle Market, through the street, along Wilford road to the Embankment where there were more festivities.
My call up lasted until 1948, as there was still farming work to be done after the war had ended.
Although I didn't originally want to work on the land during the war, it was the best job I've ever had.

By Sue Whibley
People in story: Doug Phillips
Location of story: Epperstone Area, Nottinghamshire
Unit name: Agricultural Service Call Up
Background to story: Civilian Force

This story was submitted to the People's War site by a volunteer from CCSV / 大象传媒 Radio Nottingham on behalf of Doug Phillips and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

When war broke out I worked on a farm which was taken over by the County War Agricultural Committee.
I had wanted to sign up for the Army, but they cancelled all my call up. I had to do as I was told. I was an experienced tractor driver and good at ploughing.
The Committee took over all the tractors and then contracted them out to other farms with people like myself as drivers. Originally we covered farms over a wide area, but later I was part of a group in the Epperstone area of Nottinghamshire.
All the farms were instructed to plough up and farm their grasslands. It was my job to help them to plough and drill the land. I worked from 7am until 8pm. The farmers then grew wheat, sugar beet etc. on the land.
I was a class one driver and so earned a bit more than the others. I spent some time teaching other drivers. I still see one of the lads I taught. He was then aged only seventeen.
We worked with the Land Girls. Some brought out different machinery for us to use during the day. Some brought us fuel to refuel the tractors. Some worked threshing machines. The wheat was cut into sheaves and then stacked up to dry.
In 1944 on Palm Sunday there was a big parade through Nottingham. All our agricultural machines were in the parade. The town was full of people. The parade started at the Cattle Market, through the street, along Wilford road to the Embankment where there were more festivities.
My call up lasted until 1948, as there was still farming work to be done after the war had ended.
Although I didn't originally want to work on the land during the war, it was the best job I've ever had.

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