Poetry of the Land Girls

                   The Women's Land Army

                  There had been a small Women's Land  Army established in Britain in 1917 and disbanded in 1919. On 1st June 1939 this organisation was revived. In June 1939 there were 546,000 men and 55,000 women working in agriculture. There was also a pool of 110,000 casual workers, both men and women. By  March 1940 as many as 45,000- 50,000 men who has been working on the land, joined the Army or other occupations. CALDER. Another estimate puts the March 1940 deficit of land workers at 102,00 regular and 30,000 seasonal workers MANT

The threat of food shortages was apparent with merchant ships being easy prey for enemy battle ships, submarines, and aeroplanes. British agriculture simply had to produce more. From June 1939 to the late Summer of 1941, there were around 20,000 volunteers in the Women's Land Army IWM and their numbers were increasing. The National Service Act of December 1941 introduced the conscription of women aged between 20 -30, some who worked on the land It is possible that some 200,000 women were serving with the Women's Land Army at some point from June 1939- 1950, ANTROBUS . The National Archives website claims that 80,000 women were 'Land Girls' at a peak time in 1943. NATIONAL ARCHIVES. 

The women assisted with crop production, looking after livestock, dairy farming, cutting down trees for timber and making paper. Also in the elimination of rats and mice. Their pay increased during the War, and a Benevolent Fund was established for those who were injured due to accidents. WATTON. Though the organisation was called an army, those recruited wore uniforms, they were not subject to military discipline. 

There were male Conscience Objectors who were ordered to work in agriculture and forestry. And from 1943, there were Prisoners of War also thus engaged.  Casual paid workers and volunteers also assisted at peak times. 

Poetry written by the Women's Land Army members appeared in the The Land Girl, Country Life, and Outposts magazines.Already by 1940 a pamphlet titled Poems of the Women's Land Army was published with an introduction by Vita Sackville-West, who devoted a whole book to a study of the Women's Land Army published in 1944. Yet somehow their poetry has been marginalised. There doesn't seem to have been any Women's Land Army members who were already known poets , or who were  to become famous for their published poetry during the post  War years. A large section of World War 2 women's poetry tended to deal with bombing or bereavement, so examining poetry written by women working on the land hopefully broadens the study of this genre. 

Early Harvest

"The corn is carted
The full wains swayed and down the rutted road
There came at evening the last heavy load.
The wagoner, light hearted,
called it a day,
The corn was carted

The corn is carted

A sickle moon upon the stubble gleamed

Up to the flying clouds a searchlight streamed

A wailing syren (sic) started

For not too soon

The corn was carted.

The corn is carted,

The bomber came, tired workers at the farm.

Not for the first time heard the shrill alarm

Now, not a man downheartened, 

Saw creeping flame.

The corn was carted.

The corn is carted,

We said good-bye when it was springing green

But death has ploughed a furrow in between

Us, since the day we parted,

And where you lie

The corn is carted.

The corn is carted

The feeble weed which broke the heavy cloud

At length was ripened by the hard of God

Young, strong and eager-hearted

For England's need.

The corn was carted."

Poet not known,listed as 'Anon East Sussex'

Source :  Vita Sackville-West 'Poems of the Women's Land Army' 

This poem has been selected to show how land working is portrayed as monotonous, no impression of being part of a jolly band women working together or being part of some rural idyll. And being published in 1940, not uplifting or defiant. Quite interesting how the poem gradually moves to separation and death . 

By contrast, another poet portrays a quite a joyful year of countryside working as part of the Women's Land Army. 

One Diamond

"Gentle breezes
Lambs at play 
Blossom time and
New mown hay
Droning bees and
Drowsy heat
Azure skies
Nodding wheat 
Chilly dawns
Blood red leaves
Sunset glories-
Blackberries:
Silent snow and
Frozen ponds
Roaring fires-

Friendships bonds
Thus is found in
One short year 
A Landgirl's real 
Arendia "

-K.H.Lye (Middlesex) WLA No 55498 

Source: Women's Land Army website

This poem is a list of impressions, most likely inspired by  Imagist poetry. Quite precise use of language showing a series of pictures.  Have not managed to trace any information about the poet herself. The poem was published in  The Land Girl magazine April 1944. The reference to 'Arendia' in the last line is a mystery. 

Picture Credit : 

Milking Practise With Artificial Udders  By Evelyn Dunbar, In the public domain, courtesy of the Imperial War Museum/ Wikipedia (Britain)  http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/8162

Poetry Credit:

'Early Harvest' reproduced courtesy of  Creative Commons  licence

'One Diamond' reproduced courtesy of Cherish Watton, Womens Land Army website /TEXT

Books

The Women's Land Army , Bob POWELL/ Nigel WESTACOTT, The History Press, 1997

'The People's War', Angus CALDER

'All Muck, No Medals-Landgirls by Landgirls', Joan MANT, The Book Guild Ltd, 1994

Websites/Web articles

Imperial War Museum (IWM) What was the Women's Land Army during World War 2 webpage

The National Archives   National archives guide to researching Women's Land Army 

'Researching-the-history-of-the-WLA'  ( originally from Local History magazine) Stuart ANTROBUS

Poems of the Land Army An anthology of Verse by members of the Women's Land Army, with a forward by Vita SACKVILLE-WEST , published by Land Girl magazine, 1940 

Women's Land Army  excellent website, run by Cherish WATTON 

Land Girls (The History of the Women's Land Army) , On line exhibition organised by the  Museum of Rural Life,

Youtube 

A Canterbury Tale   1944 film featuring scenes of Land Girls encountering American GIs.

Ploughing the Fields With Poetry  A series of short Youtube videos , depicting lives of the Women's Land Army in poetry, organised by Norfolk Museum Service .

                                   Land Girls and Lumber Jill Memorial, sculpture by Denise Dutton  www.iwm.org.uk/corporate/privacy-copyright]© Colin Sweett (WMR-74909), Courtesy of Imperial War Museum, shared via non-commercial licence   More details

World War 2 Poetry blog supports the Second World War Experience Centre  Please consider looking at their website and the SWWEC Youtube Channel 

World War 2 Poetry blog welcomes the new War Poetry Review website run by the War Poets Association 

Thank you to all visitors to this blog from around world. Your interest is much appreciated. 
A blogpost about Keith Douglas has been requested. Hopefully will appear in the next month or so. 
Michael Bully 
Worthing 
West Sussex 
4th August 2025 

As ever, any errors or schoolboy howlers in the above post are my responsibility and not be attributed to any source that I have cited or listed. 

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