Published: Friday, 1st August, 2008 12:00
Land Girls receive honour at last
By David O'Leary
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Former members of the Women’s Land Army and Timber Corps from Peeblesshire have finally received recognition for the role they played in World War II.
Fifty Land Girls from across Great Britain, including two from Scotland, were invited to represent their colleagues at a ceremony in Downing Street last week.
Various Ex-Land Girls in Peebles awoke last Thursday to find a specially designed commemorative badge amongst their post on the mat.
With their uniform of green ties and jumpers and brown felt slouch hats, they worked from dawn to dusk each day, milking cows, digging ditches, sowing seeds and harvesting crops to supply the nation with food.
The Women’s Timber Corps, also known as the ‘Lumber Jills’ worked tirelessly in the forests to provide timber for the war effort.
Margaret Chisholm, 86, from South Park Drive, joined the Land Girls in 1941 with her friend Peggy Scott, after first working in a munitions factory In Ayrshire.
She said: “First we worked on McGilvray’s fruit farm picking strawberries and potatoes. Then we were moved over to Richardson’s farm where we tended the cattle. It was hard work and long hours from 7am-6pm in all seasons.
“We had a great time there was fantastic camararderie between all us girls. It’s a real pity though that so many of the girls are not here to receive their honour because without us the country would have collapsed.”
Margaret married her husband, Alex, an RAF man in 1943. They had two children Jim and Margo, four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
She said: “Alex used to love his gardening and would never let me touch it. I used to have to remind him that I was in the Land Army, sowing and picking vegetables in hard frost!
“I applied for my medal a couple of months back and then forgot about it. Last Wednesday night I saw the Land Girls on the news at Downing Street and I woke next morning to find it in my post. It was a lovely surprise.”
Inez Albert, 83, from Old Town, was also a member of the Land Girls.
Originally from London, she worked on farms in Newport Pagnell and Ivor in Buckinghamshire.
She said: “ We’d be picked up at 8am and driven to different farms to work for the day, planting and picking fruit and vegetables. We’d have to work until 11pm during the harvesting season, threshing the wheat, which was real hard work.
“I remember once walking through a field and the ground opened up before me and these three airmen jumped out. They had built a little house below ground level and it was rather lovely inside, I wouldn’t have minded living in it!
Inez joined the Land Girls in 1941 at only 16, two years below the required age limit. She said: “I lied about my age to join because all my brothers and sisters were in the armed services. However, I wanted to be different to them so that’s why I joined the Land Army.
“At the time I was also suffering from rheumatic fever and the doctor told me it would toughen me up.”
In 1947, Inez married her husband Charles, who served in Burma. They had five children, Sheila, William, Jackie, Richard and Carol, 6 grandchildren and she is awaiting the birth of her first great-grandchild.
Her daughter Sheila said: “To be honest it’s about time that they were honoured for what they did because without them the country would have starved during the war.”
Scottish Border Council’s Older People’s Champion, Willie Archibald said: ”These women have been made to wait for years for recognition and it’s a shame that so many of them are not here to receive it. They did a great service for this country of ours and fully deserve out thanks.”
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Further Details
Tributes pour in for local soldier