Land Army Memories

This story was submitted to the People’s War website by Debbie and Izaak, pupils from Teversham Primary School on behalf of Mary Elbourn and has been added to the site with her permission. Mary Elbourn fully understands the site’s terms and conditions.

I joined the Women’s Land Army girls at Homerton College in 1941 and my sister joined as well - I was so happy when my sister joined. The lady who taught us was really nice and loving. In the evening she gave us the theory of gardening - about soil. The garden stretched from Hills Road to the railway line. I put my spade over my shoulder and walked off. A German plane flew over the top of me. Incendiary bombs had dropped in the garden. When I got home I put my hand on the wall and it moved because of the bomb suction. Six people worked in the garden I had been gardening in.
The Women’s Land Army marched in front of Duchess of Gloucester.
We didn’t get medals and instead we sewed armbands on to our uniforms.
We all donated a pint of blood.
In rationing you would get 2ounces of butter a week and there were only a few things that weren’t rationed. You could have 4oz of bacon and ham which was not much but we weren’t hungry in the war and we were much healthier than we are now.
One day my boyfriend had a day off at work, so we went to London for the day. We went on his motorbike. While we were driving I saw a shop full of cakes. I was so happy, excited and surprised I shouted “Look! A cake full of shops!” because I was so excited and while I was in London I got married.
When I got home and told my mum I was joining the Land Army she just
thought I was joking and she said “But you’re scared of cows!”

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