Timeline 1943

Bedfordshire Women's Land Army > Timelines

January

Cover heading of The Land Girl magazine, January, 1943

"The Women's Land Army (WLA) are hoping to double the numbers of workers during the year, and they are extending their scheme of hostels, but they would like to place more girls with individual farmers".
"...proposed to organize gangs of business and professional men and women who will be available during the weekends..." (Bedfordshire Times, 1 January 1943 p4).
Food now produced in parts of Whipsnade Zoo park where animals once roamed. Several land girls from Bedford are working at Lodge Farm, Toddington.
Italian POWs engaged in drainage work in Elstow (Bedfordshire Times, 22 January 1943 p4).
Hostel opened (c. January 1943) in Potton at The Hollies, King Street, a small town house accommodating 20 land girls, including nine from Lincolnshire. YWCA Warden, Mrs Stone. (The Land Girl, February 1943 (No. 11, Vo.3) p. 12).
Five hundred and six land girls employed in Bedfordshire (The Land Girl, January 1943 (No.10, Vol.3) p.16).

February

Bedfordshire WLA employs 520 land girls (53,500 nationally) at this time (The Land Girl, February 1943 (No. 11, Vo.3) p. 12).
"Land Girls Beat Men at Ploughing" Monday 1st February 1943 at Woburn Park. Friendly ploughing match between WLA and male farm workers. Girls won first, second, and third places: Ethel Eaton, Rhona Carter and Edith Catchlove (Bedfordshire Times, 5 February 1943 p3).

Land Girls beat the men in a county ploughing contest, February 1943
BLARS (Bedfordshire Times archive)

Whipsnade hostel opened in huts almost opposite The Chequers public house, 15th February 1943.
Reclaiming Land at Wilstead: land girls using tractors between Wilstead and Houghton Conquest, pulling up bushes, to add 30 acres of high-cropping land. (Beds Times, 12 Feb, 1943 p4).

BLARS (Bedfordshire Times archive)

Five hundred and twenty land girls employed in Bedfordshire (The Land Girl, February 1943 (No.11, Vol.3) p16).

March

Demonstrations by Land Girls: Farmers impressed at New Buildings Farm, Husborne Crawley, 3 March 1943. Organised by "War Ag" to show "those farmers who are rather sceptical about work that can be undertaken by members of the Womens Land Army".
Miss Daisy Beard, a former kennel assistant, was the first forewoman to be engaged in Bedfordshire WLA (Bedfordshire Times, 26 February 1943 p4 and Bedfordshire Times, 5 March 1943 p7).
Five hundred and forty one land girls employed in Bedfordshire (The Land Girl, March 1943 (No.12, Vol.3) p16).

April

"E.N.S.A. (Entertainments National Service Association) concerts are now being held regularly at all the hostels and all volunteers living near enough to attend are welcome to do so".
Uniform Department "Please do not wear half uniform and half mufti (civilian clothes) and strings to the hats - Land Girls are not cowboys." (The Land Girl, April 1943 (No.1, Vol. 4) p12).
567 land girls employed in Bedfordshire (The Land Girl, April 1943 (No.1, Vol.4) p16).

May

"We are opening several new hostels and the staffing of them is a difficult job. We have been very lucky in our wardens." Erica Graham (Chairman, Bedfordshire WLA County Committee) 10 May 1943. (BLARS, Graham Archive)

Gwen Varna, of Milton Ernest hostel with working horse

"Use Horses More" to save fuel because of shortages (Bedfordshire Times, 21 May 1943 p6).
614 land girls employed in Bedfordshire (The Land Girl, May 1943 (No.2 Vol.4) p16).

June

Cover heading of The Land Girl magazine, June, 1943

Mrs. Heydeman compelled through ill-health to leave; replaced by Mrs. Ida Eugster.
Wrest Park, Silsoe hostel (requisitioned Wrest Park Lodge house) opened last week. Warden: Mrs. Stone (formerly of Potton Hostel); Assistant Warden: Miss Sanderson.
"Chimney Corner", Elstow and Hulcote Moors hostels to open soon .
"Wings for Victory Week" 12-19 June in Bedford (target 500,000).

Mary Bennett and another Land Girl (?) lead prize milking cow, Granny 9th, from Harold Brown's farm at Great Barford in fund-raising parade in Bedford. The cow gave over 2000 gallons of milk in just one year.
BLARS (Bedfordshire Times archive)

"We secured a large bomb and anti-aircraft gun mounted on a lorry to lead our contingent carrying a large notice saying 'These are Hitler's weapons' and followed by an arrow pointing to our Land Girls saying 'These are ours'" (The Land Girl, July 1943 (No.4, Vol.4) p10).

"Wings for Victory Week" parade in Bedford, June, 1943, included 100 land girls.
BLARS (Bedfordshire Times archive)

Six hundred and sixty three land girls employed in Bedfordshire (The Land Girl, June 1943 (No.3,Vol.4) p16).

July

4 July 1943 National Farm Sunday processions in Bedford, Luton and individual villages. Members of Bedfordshire WLA were present in force.

Farming Sunday in Bedford, 4th July 1943
Kindly reproduced with permission from AmpthillImages.com

Seven hundred and seventy-one land girls employed in Bedfordshire (The Land Girl, July 1943 (No.4, Vol.4) p16).

August

Cover heading of The Land Girl magazine, August, 1943

Recruitment to Women's Land Army is closed by a decision of the War Cabinet (because of need for more workers in the aircraft production industry).
Daisy Beard and Pat Johnstone (Bedfordshire land girls) represented the county at a WLA fourth birthday party at Buckingham Palace given by HM the Queen. Pat also broadcast to America via the BBC. (The Land Girl, August 1943 (No.5, Vol.4) p13).
Two new hostels opened recently: Houghton Conquest (known as "Chimney Corner") (Warden, Miss Lamb) and Hulcote Moors (Warden, Mrs. Whatling) (The Land Girl, August 1943 (No.5, Vo.4) p13).
Advert entitled "John Bull's Daughters" includes a drawing of a land girl harvesting and a poem "Diana drives the tractor" (Bedfordshire Times, 13 August 1943 p10).

Image from advert entitled "John Bull's Daughters"
Click on image for full advert and poem.
Luton News

BBC WLA broadcast refers to the introduction of WLA Proficiency Tests (p9).
Seven hundred and ninety two land girls employed in Bedfordshire (The Land Girl, No.5, Vol.4, p16).

September

One hundred and eighty land girls arrived immediately before the ban on recruiting and two new hostels were opened to accommodate them: Cople (94 girls) and Houghton Conquest ("Chimney Corner") (94 girls) (The Land Girl, October 9143 ((No.7, Vo.4) p13).
"WLA Labour Is Now Available" public notice to farmers, issued by Beds. "War Ag" 22 September 1943, referring to 12 hostels: Milton Ernest, Bolnhurst, Ravensden, Cople, Potton, Houghton Conquest ("Chimney Corner"), Silsoe, Hulcote Moors, Toddington, Kensworth, Leighton Buzzard, Whipsnade. (Bedfordshire Times, 24 September 1943 p6 (advert)).

War Ag. notice to farmers regarding Land Girl availability

Nine hundred and four land girls employed in Bedfordshire (The Land Girl, September 1943 (No.6, Vol.4) p16).
"Land army girls help their own fund: a big gymkhana at Elstow raises 150 for the WLA Benevolent Fund. The Lord Lieutenant, Master of the Hertfordshire Hounds, acted as principal judge." Bramwell Graham, letter 9th September 1943. (BLARS, Graham Archive)

October

Cover heading of The Land Girl magazine, October, 1943

Minister of Agriculture visits Bedfordshire (Bedfordshire Times, 1 October 1943 p.7).

Bedfordshire War Ag. officials with Minister, October 1943
BLARS (Bedfordshire Times archive)

Exceptionally dry season. Early and heavy harvest.
Gymkhana held at Elstow, 11th September, arranged by Mrs. Graham and the County staff. Excellent weather attracted large crowds. Side shows manned by land girls and three hostels organised their own stalls.

Sheila Stephens from Bolnhurst Hostel enjoying some recreation.

Cups given by Mrs. Graham, Mrs. Mills, Alan Wood and R. Dent. The Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire, Lieutenant-Colonel Part attended. A dance was held in the evening. Cheque for 150 to be sent to the WLA Benevolent Fund. (The Land Girl, October 1943 (No.7, Vol.4) p13).
Mrs Martin of Box End House, Kempston, held her first informal Land Girls Club meeting for girls in the Kempston and Stagsden area.
Nine hundred and sixty five land girls employed in Bedfordshire (The Land Girl October 1943 (No. 7, Vol.4) p16).

November

"Bedfordshire Not Short of Milkers". "There are a number of Land Girls in dairy work waiting to be placed with milk producers" (Bedfordshire Times, 5 November 1943 p4).
Nine hundred and ninety seven land girls employed in Bedfordshire (The Land Girl, November 1943 (No.8, Vol.4) p16).

December

Forty more girls from the North and 40 girls from Essex welcomed to Bedfordshire over the last two months.
New temporary hostel opened in Luton.
Threshing in full swing.
12 girls (who started as land girls in autumn 1939) qualified for their 4-year armlet.
Correspondence courses in full swing.
The first Proficiency Tests will be held early in the New Year (1944).
1006 land girls employed in Bedfordshire (The Land Girl, December 1943 (No.9, Vol.4) p16).

Land Girl threshing gang at Lodge Farm, Toddington
(MERL, University of Reading)

Stuart Antrobus Historian/Author

Page last updated: 10th March 2014