Shropshire Star

Special wartime tractor stands proudly outside village church for Remembrance

A tractor that was used by land girls during the Second World War is taking pride of place in the Remembrance weekend tributes outside a Shropshire church.

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The land army Fordson outside Stoke-on-Tern church

Lady V as she has been affectionately named by owner, Tanya Steele, is standing proudly outside Stoke-on-Tern church alongside a cascade of poppies created by villagers.

Tanya, who lives close to the church said the 1944 Fordson Standard model was built specifically for the land girls to use.

Tanya on the special land army tractor

"Mine, that I have named Lady V after Vera Lynn, is one of many made for the war effort when women were keeping farming going while the men were at war," she said.

"The petrol tank had enough fuel to run for 10 hours to allow the land girls to work long shifts ploughing and working the land.

"The model also had instructions written on the tractor so that the land girls would know how to drive them."

Another noticeable change to support the effort can been seen in the mudguards.

"They have narrow mudguards because the wider ones were melted down to make ammunition."