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The British Women’s Land Army was first set up in January 1917 for World War One.

It was re-formed in June 1939, in preparation for World War Two. Over 200,000 Land Girls worked in the WLA from June 1939 until November 1950.

Women, known as Land Girls, replaced male farm workers who fought in the war. Coming from all backgrounds, Land Girls were critical to increasing the country’s food supply.

This website, run by Cherish Watton, explores the history of the Women’s Land Army, using first hand testimony, photos, journals, letters, and more.

World War One Women's Land Army
World War Two Women's Land Army
Women's Land Army Archives

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Royal Historical Society Public History Prize 2018

Winner of the inaugural Royal Historical Society
Undergraduate Public History Prize.

As a historian, I enjoy this website that helps to preserve the wartime memories of women who fought in the fields.

Dr Cecilia Gowdy-Wygant
WLA Historian
Stuart Antrobus Radio Interview

Congratulations on your 5th anniversary as creator and editor of the Women’s Land Army website, which has established itself as the first point of call for those interested in the British Women’s Land Army – whether as historians, relatives of former Land Girls and Lumber Jills, or those who just have an interest in the role of women in Britain during the two world wars.

Stuart Antrobus
WLA Historian

Excellent website

Stephen Walton
Senior Curator, Second World War & Mid-20th Century, Imperial War Museum Duxford
Emma Taylor Cartlidge

As a teacher who provides hands-on history workshops in primary schools, this website has been invaluable in my research and understanding of the Women’s Land Army during WW2. The wealth of resources that Cherish has compiled in this website and given us permission to use, have contributed towards our workshop, “Feeding the Nation,” which hopes to bring to life the role of the WLA for primary children. First-hand accounts, photographs, documents, news articles and propaganda are all excellent sources to help children to broaden their understanding of how we glean evidence of the past and the depth and range of material on this website relating to the WLA is unrivalled.

Emma Taylor Cartlidge
Director, Magic Door Education Ltd

I must thank you for the help the information on your website has given me! I’m currently studying GCSE History and our controlled assessment task is about social attitudes on the home front. Your website was very beneficial when looking for information on the Women’s Land Army – I will be recommending it to my fellow students and teacher for them to use!

Katie
GCSE student

Loved the website, full of treasures, such a treat to find!

A woman who grew up on a farm with Land Girls
You’re doing a great job on the WLA website, I’m always telling people to look at it
as it’s a great source of information.
Bronwen Jones
WLA re-enactor
I would like to send my grateful thanks for…setting up a central contact point online for the Women’s Land Army veterans and families of the same. I had been looking for ideas how to incorporate the land army for the end of the year birthday party via a general search on the Internet and came across the one which Cherish Watton is developing www.womenslandarmy.co.uk. It was Cherish’s suggestion to go via the National Archives which allowed me to find the microfiche record of my mother’s registration to the land army back in 1941 and I was able to present this to my mum on her birthday. Cherish also suggested sharing the themed 90th birthday photos for others to enjoy and has  been very efficient in uploading these.
Elisabeth Sweeney
Daughter of a Land Girl

I’m glad that your website is available to researchers. It helped confirm to our family that the uniform Isabel was wearing was indeed a WLA one. Websites like yours go a long way to memorializing and championing women’s work which is so often overlooked, underreported, and undervalued, no matter what century we are in.

Christine C
Researcher