Land Army days in Wales

This contribution was submitted by Violet May Bass to the People's War team in Wales and is added to the site with her permission.

I had left my home in Wales for the North West of England before the war started…and ended up working in a sugar factory and at the Risley munitions factory near Warrington.
When the war ended I packed up there and my mother had me home again. On VE day I was still in Warrington and it was spectacular….wonderful jollifications. Initially I stayed at home doing housekeeping while my mother went out to work. But when the munitions factory where she was working closed, I had to go back out to work again. I told my father I’d like to join the forces…and he said I could join the Land Army. So I joined the Land Army and was sent to Abergavenny on a farm which was up the mountain away from all civilisation. I was there for six months, and did my training there — learning to hand milk cows. Then I was feeling a bit homesick so I wrote asking for a transfer because I was lonely. I was then transferred to Sammy Sharps in Thornwall Farm, Bulwark. There I met my friend Eva - from Caerleon, and another girl, Maggie, who were already on the farm. Two of us every day had to go out on the milk round and one had to stop behind to wash the utensils and dairy equipment and wash the dairy down. We’d have our dinner when we came back from the dairy round. Then we’d go out working in the fields….till about five o’clock….hay-making or whatever had to be done. For two years we were doing that…and I had a few words with the farmer and I told him I was going to get a job elsewhere.

So I then went to see Philip Price at High Beech and asked him if he wanted a Land girl.
“Oh yes”, he said, “I was going to apply for another one”. So I told him I wanted a transfer. So I got the transfer. Then Eva said…”I’m coming with you” so she transferred. And a three weeks later the other girl said “I’m coming too….ask if he needs another girl”. So the three of us worked there on the farm.

So from hand milking and delivering milk on the horse and cart. We went to a proper dairy farm which pasteurised the milk and bottled it. I was there for four years and I got married and then after that I stayed on the farm for another three years. I enjoyed that farm. We had a good boss — he was great. When the Land Army folded up I went driving for Liptons for 13 years, delivering groceries.

Eva and I stayed firm friends….but lost touch after getting married. I’m now in touch with her family again through going to the exhibition in Chepstow. There was a picture of me and Eva and the staff told me that Eva’s sister had been in, and put me in touch with her. And just after I’d visited the exhibition Eva’s daughter called in.

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.