Author Topic: Women's land army 1st World War  (Read 3369 times)

Offline Mike in Cumbria

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Women's land army 1st World War
« on: Saturday 21 April 12 13:05 BST (UK) »
My great aunt worked in the Women's Land Army in the First World War. Does anybody know where I can find lists of names, details of postings etc?

Failing this, any general information would be very welcomed. There's quite a lot of information about the Land Army in the Second World War, but I've not found much yet about its origin in the Great War.

Thanks for any help

Mike

Online GrahamSimons

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Re: Women's land army 1st World War
« Reply #1 on: Saturday 21 April 12 13:31 BST (UK) »
I didn't know about the WW1 Land Army - very impressive! Just found this: http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/collections/item/5523?CISOBOX=1&REC=6

It doesn't look terribly hopeful on searching for individual records: the National Archives state that for WW2, "The original service records of the Women's Land Army have not survived." The chances of WW1 survival I guess are slimmer.

I've had a look through their catalogue and there are a few files but they seem to be mainly to do with policy and central admin.

Might be worth asking the IWM, who have the WW2 index cards to see what they can offer in terms of background.
Simons Barrett Jaffray Waugh Langdale Heugh Meade Garnsey Evans Vazie Mountcure Glascodine Parish Peard Smart Dobbie Sinclair....
in Stirlingshire, Roxburghshire; Bucks; Devon; Somerset; Northumberland; Carmarthenshire; Glamorgan

Offline Mike in Cumbria

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Re: Women's land army 1st World War
« Reply #2 on: Saturday 21 April 12 13:34 BST (UK) »
Thanks Graham

It doesn't look very hopeful, does it? I'll do as you suggest though and contact the IWM. In the meantime - if anyone else knows anything, I'd love to hear from you. The idea of a First World War land army is certainly a new one on me.

Mike

Online GrahamSimons

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Re: Women's land army 1st World War
« Reply #3 on: Saturday 21 April 12 13:37 BST (UK) »
If you have an idea of which county she worked in, it might also be worth contacting their Archive/Record Office/Local Studies people, and maybe having a look at local newspapers (where there are indexes)
Simons Barrett Jaffray Waugh Langdale Heugh Meade Garnsey Evans Vazie Mountcure Glascodine Parish Peard Smart Dobbie Sinclair....
in Stirlingshire, Roxburghshire; Bucks; Devon; Somerset; Northumberland; Carmarthenshire; Glamorgan


Offline Mike in Cumbria

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Re: Women's land army 1st World War
« Reply #4 on: Saturday 21 April 12 13:49 BST (UK) »
The two places where I think she may have worked are Cranage Hall, Cranage, Holmes Chapel, Cheshire and as a dairymaid in Dunstall Hall, Dunstall, Burton on Trent, Staffordshire. 

Thanks for the tips.

Mike

Online GrahamSimons

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Re: Women's land army 1st World War
« Reply #5 on: Saturday 21 April 12 13:53 BST (UK) »
I keep having ideas today! Try the Museum of English Rural Life - they are on the campus of Reading University and have quite a collection of documents.

http://www.reading.ac.uk/merl/
Simons Barrett Jaffray Waugh Langdale Heugh Meade Garnsey Evans Vazie Mountcure Glascodine Parish Peard Smart Dobbie Sinclair....
in Stirlingshire, Roxburghshire; Bucks; Devon; Somerset; Northumberland; Carmarthenshire; Glamorgan

Offline Mike in Cumbria

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Re: Women's land army 1st World War
« Reply #6 on: Saturday 21 April 12 14:16 BST (UK) »
I'll do just that. Thanks again, Graham.

Mike

Offline tillypeg

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Re: Women's land army 1st World War
« Reply #7 on: Saturday 21 April 12 18:18 BST (UK) »
I obtained a copy of my mother's Land Army index card by emailing the Imperial War Museum, Lambeth Road, London SE1 6HZ:-  mail [at] iwm.org.uk  giving them her name, date of birth and address at the time.  They hold a microfilm of the index cards.  I received a copy of my mother's card which just had her name and address on, her Land Army number, her age on enlisting and her then occupation.  Also the date of resignation - 24.11.45 and Demob Scheme 1.12.45.  There were no details of her postings etc as I don't think these were retained. 

Online GrahamSimons

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Re: Women's land army 1st World War
« Reply #8 on: Saturday 21 April 12 21:05 BST (UK) »
I obtained a copy of my mother's Land Army index card by emailing the Imperial War Museum, Lambeth Road, London SE1 6HZ:-  mail [at] iwm.org.uk  giving them her name, date of birth and address at the time.  They hold a microfilm of the index cards.  I received a copy of my mother's card which just had her name and address on, her Land Army number, her age on enlisting and her then occupation.  Also the date of resignation - 24.11.45 and Demob Scheme 1.12.45.  There were no details of her postings etc as I don't think these were retained. 

The problem here is that we are looking for First World War and the IWM's holdings are for the Second World War. The various trawling of sources I've done suggests there are no records of First War Land Army individuals. As you say, the Second War cards aren't very helpful anyway, as anyone looking them up will know most of the info already.

To be fair I suppose no-one in 1919 or in 1945 could see any reason to keep the records, and they would have made good fuel for the boilers or good pulp for newspapers!
Simons Barrett Jaffray Waugh Langdale Heugh Meade Garnsey Evans Vazie Mountcure Glascodine Parish Peard Smart Dobbie Sinclair....
in Stirlingshire, Roxburghshire; Bucks; Devon; Somerset; Northumberland; Carmarthenshire; Glamorgan