Joan Lowe (née Cheeseman)

General Information

First Name(s): Joan

Unmarried Surname: Cheeseman

Married Surname: Lowe

Date of Birth: 14.4.1921

Place of Birth: Warren Corner, Crondall

Date joined WLA: 6.7.1942

Date left: 30.3.1945

WLA number: 87735

Previous occupation: Domestic

Reasons for joining: Doing her bit for the war  

Employment

Pre-work training: Mum’s early life was very much within the farming community: grandparents were farmers, her aunts and uncles worked as farmers or on the land so it became no surprise that Mum would volunteer to work around her family in the WLA, of which I said she very much enjoyed.

Worked in Hampshire.

Accommodation

Private billet, Mr & Mrs Walter Barnard (Uncle & Aunt)

Life after the war

Birth of my sister, 27.6.1945. My brother was born in 1950 and our other sister in 1953, and me coming up behind in 1955. Her father was a Sick-berth attendant with the Royal Navy, as was our paternal grandfather working in RN Hospitals or onboard ships. Mum would often go “back home” and stay with family, where of course we now have connections some 100+ years later, and amazing memories.

How did work in the WLA effect their life? My mother enjoyed her time in the WLA and with working friends. Mum had very fond memories of her time in the WLA, not just with the girls she worked with but the community and British Forces stationed around her.

Contributor Information

Name: Phillip Lowe

Relationship to Land Girl: Son