Land Girl reminiscence: Early trials on a Bedfordshire farm for a new 1940s land girl – Part 1

Mrs. K.A. Scott didn’t initally get as close to the chickens as this Land Girl!
Source: IWM D 18432

“Unlike many other girls who ended up miles away from home, I, a Bedford girl, was given a job on a large estate at Kempston [a neighbouring settlement]. There was just me and two men, both over 65.

My first job was to feed the chickens which were in a run in the middle of a field of cows. I was terrified of cows, but I thought they

wouldn’t notice me if I hurried. As I opened the gate they started running towards me. I dropped the buckets and ran to the chicken house where I locked myself in for over an hour, nearly overcome by the smell until one of the men came to look for me.

After that the cattle seemed to have it in for me. I was getting some manure from a small paddock, my back to some young bullocks, when one butted me from behind and I went head first into the dung heap.