Margaret (Peggy) Noreen Hoare-Davis (née Dee)
General Information
First Name(s): Margaret (Peggy) Noreen
Unmarried Surname: Dee
Married Surname: Hoare-Davis
Date of Birth: 27.11.1925
Place of Birth: Llanbradach
Previous occupation: She was not employed.
Reasons for joining: Experience of rural life in Ireland and practical experience with crops and farm animals.
Family’s reaction to joining: They supported her and were very proud of her contribution to the war effort.
Reactions of local people: They understood the contribution Land Girls were making to the vital role of securing food supplies. They were grateful. They recognized that the work was hard and normally done by men so appreciated their efforts, willingness to learn and improve.
Reasons for leaving: End of war.
Employment
Worked in Hampshire, including in Wayhill.
Best and worst memories of time: Best memories are of the comradeship that came with working with girls from very different backgrounds, developing her skills, independence, social opportunities not available in her home area. Broadening horizons. Worst memory is getting injured by a harrow which meant a hospital stay.
Opportunities to meet others: She lived in a community of Land Girls at Redenham. They had regular opportunities for social events at air bases. They went on visits together and shopping expeditions.
How did work in the WLA effect their life? A strong work ethic and sense of responsibility for the wellbeing of others. Ambition to improve herself and continue service to others.
Accommodation
Lived in Redenham House, Hampshire.
Life after the war
What was their occupation after the war? Clerical work in Cardiff.
Any outstanding events or achievements in WLA or in later life? The papal award for outstanding service to her church and community “Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice.”
Further information:
Mum told me an anecdote recently. She and the other girls were doing hard outside work during winter, possibly picking sprouts. There was ice on the vegetables and several of the girls thought it was unreasonable to work in those conditions. A group of them agreed they would down tools in protest. Mum was horrified and told these girls they were letting the country down. The action was abandoned. She described it as “the time I broke a strike”.
Gwendoline Place mentioned Peggy in a list of the girls she’d worked and shared accommodation with at Redenham House. I was very excited to see Mum’s name in a programme for a play ((Robin Hood and Maid Marion) that was put on by the girls. She was listed as “Billy”, one of the two Babes in the Wood. My mother remembered another performance she appeared in, “East Lynne”, a sensational Victorian melodrama, in which she played the faithful servant who has a key role in the narrative. She said that she “brought the house down and should have been an actress”!
My mother taught herself shorthand and typing after the war and worked in a large office In Thomson House Cardiff. She was awarded the title of “Miss Efficiency.”
She later worked as a retail manager and clerical assistant to a solicitor.
She completed a course with the Open University in the mid 1970s including a Summer School.
She has been a key member of the Catholic Women’s League for the diocese of Menevia. For a few years, she assisted the diocese and local church with accounts.
My mother continues with her charity and community work, She is a strong advocate for ecumenism and worked with Churches Together.
She volunteers at the Briton Ferry Library, which would have been closed down but for the efforts of Trustees and Volunteers.
She volunteers at the charity shop which raises funds and gives grants for good causes in the Briton Ferry area.
She is the lead fund raiser for our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church in Briton Ferry. She is still organizing the annual Christmas Dinner and other events.
In the past, projects included: leading holidays on Caldey Island for children who would not otherwise have had a holiday; working in a team to provide packed lunches for children during school holidays, visiting and giving communion to the sick and residents of care home in the local area.
Her 100th Birthday is on 27th November 2025. She still lives independently and cares for herself and her home with some support from her family.
She loves reading, opera and ballet, crosswords, her family. Despite diagnosis of heart failure last year and a new heart valve, she is determined to carry on. She is indomitable.
Contributor Information
Name: Stephanie Ann Marks
Relationship to Land Girl: Daughter
