Mary Hood (née Blackburn)
General Information
First Name(s): Mary
Unmarried Surname: Blackburn
Married Surname: Hood
Date of Birth: 11/11/25
Place of Birth: London
Date Joined WLA: 1942
Date Left WLA: c.1948
WLA Number: 105208
Previous occupation: Dressmaker
Reasons for joining: To work on a farm with animals.
Family’s reaction to joining: Not very pleased
Best and worst memories of time: I worked with a German Prisoner who after a long time heard his wife had a son. He had left home when she was pregnant and they had lost touch for 2 years.
Reactions of local people towards WLA: Mostly friendly. Some farm workers wives were suspicious.
Treatment by farmers or market gardeners: Very well.
Employment
Pre-work training: Trained on local farm to milk cows (by hand) , learnt to drive a lorry.
Employed by: Private farmer in Herts, Middlesex, and London.
Farming tasks: Drove lorry, worked with farm animals, collected pig swill from streets and hotels
Accommodation
Accommodation: In private billet in Wrotham Park, Edgeware
Life after the war
Stayed on the land after the war
How did work in the WLA effect your life? I always wanted to work on a farm.
Contributor Information
Name: Mary Hood
