Land Army, girls & now.

My mum worked in a munitions factory. She told tales of going in to work and the yellow painted walls often being splattered with blood from the previous shift!

My granny and auntie worked in a munitions factory. Granny never talked about, and it's only recently I've found out how dangerous the work was.

My mum was in a reserved occupation to do with the supply of medical instruments and spent the War in London, bombed out twice. It seems strange but I think both DDs would be too old now to be called up, in the first round anyway!however, one of them is turning her garden in to a vegetable patch for reasons I won't mention. I don't think the women on the home front ever got the recognition they deserved.

As promised somewhere up-thread, here's my mom, resplendent in her Land Army Dress uniform. There's no date on the picture but I think it was probably taken in 1945. She'd have been no more than 18 then.

For day to day work, they wore dungarees and green woollen jumpers rather than these breeches and the collar and tie.

Thanks Scibbles, what a wonderful photo, you must be very proud of her.

My son now 35 joined army cadets after a Sargent from local cadet unit did a talk at school.him and 5 other friends joined 5 friends left the first night saying it was worse than being at school.my son stayed became the youngest non commissioned officer and was presented with his stable belt from area officer (I think) which I still have to this day.he went on to join the t a.
Unfortunately fell from a rope bridge badly damaged his knee and couldn't join army only a a pencil pusher (his words) his job now yes you guessed a pencil pusher.

We were indeed, Bridgeit. After the WLA, she went on to a variety of jobs including house-mother in a children's home, doctor's housekeeper, poultry keeper, and delivering meals-on-wheels but would sometimes talk wistfully about the amount of pure fun she and her friends had had in the Land Army despite the stresses of the time and the tiring nature of the work.

My mother worked in what were called the 'danger buildings' in the Royle Arsenal at woolwich.
Not only was the work dangerous but the geographical location ( on the Thames) made it doubly so.
But she loved it. The money was good and of course she never went short of nylon stockings with all those American soldiers and sailors around

Wonderful photo Scribbles as Bridgeit said you must be very proud of your Mum.
The same situation is not likely to occur again but I'm sure our younger generation would rise to the challenge. There is much more awareness of world politics now so the younger generation are less likely to follow blindly and will question things more.