Land girl backs Staffordshire memorial bid

When Nellie Emery was a teenager she was one of the many girls who worked the Staffordshire fields in support of the war effort.

Now nearly 70 years later, plans are afoot to remember the Land Girls and Lumber Jill's of the Second World War through a memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum (NMA), near Alrewas.

At last week's Staffordshire County Show the Women's Food and Farming Union, WFU, were invited to the National Farmers' Union, NFU, stand to promote their campaign to make the memorial happen.

At the event the WFU also met up with 87-year-old Nellie Emery, of Fradswell, who was in the Women's Land Army for five years.

The pensioner said she fully supported the WFU's effort to commission a statue to remember the Land Girls and even made a donation towards it.

Nellie said: "As soon as I was 18 years old I had to register for war work and I used to get homesick.

"As I didn't want to go away I joined the Land Army so I could work in Staffordshire and go backwards and forwards from home.

"I was at Worston Hall, between Stafford and Eccleshall, for 12 months and at Prestford House Farm, at Butterbank, for four years.

"I remember it well and we had fawn coloured overalls and it was very hard work but we were just doing our bit.

"I used to go home to Hixon whenever I could on my bicycle, even if it was for just half an hour at least I could say I had been back.

"This memorial is a wonderful idea and I hope it is supported."

The WFU is looking to raise between £80,000 to £100,000 for the permanent memorial and members of the public are urged to show their support.

At its peak, 80,000 Land Girls worked the country's fields to help feed the nation during wartime shortages and rationing with many leaving home.

The WFU, supported by the NFU, wants this effort to be recognised and was delighted with the response from the public on both show days.

Julie Scott, Women's Land Army Tribute Project co-ordinator, said: "With everyone's help we can spread the word as just a small donation towards this worthy cause will add up to a great deal, within a very short time.

"We have worked really hard as a branch to create a website specifically for the promotion of this cause, which details exactly how much money we are trying to raise.

"This lasting tribute will, after consultation with some of the local original Land Girls, take the form of a bronze statue of the iconic 'Land Girl' pose complete with pitch fork."

To make a donation or further details please contact Mrs Scott on 07582 886604 or Eunice Finney, WFU press and marketing co-ordinator, on 07973 134076.