New Year’s Eve Message 2025

2025 has been a year of significant anniversaries: 80 years since Victory in Europe Day on 8 May and Victory in Japan Day on 16 August. National news coverage of these landmark moments shone a spotlight on the stories of former Land Girls and Lumber Jills, who shared not only their memories of those historic days but also vivid accounts of their everyday lives working on Britain’s farms and in its forests.

In honour of these anniversaries, Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs reopened the WLA and WTC Veterans’ Badge Scheme and unveiled a commemorative plaque dedicated to their service. These initiatives play a vital role in recognising women’s wartime efforts and ensuring that the significance of women’s contributions to Britain’s wartime food production is not forgotten.

Land Girls and Lumber Jilsls have also been sparked creative responses. A striking knitted display of Lumber Jills formed part of The Longest Yarn, an 80-metre 3D knitted artwork depicting D-Day on 6 June 1944, exhibited at Wonderwool 2025. Elsewhere, a beautifully crafted knitted display featuring Land Girls was showcased in Dulverton.

The Women’s Land Army continues to prove a rich and rewarding subject for research. This year saw the publication of Don’t Delay – Enrol Today: The Women’s Land Army in Hampshire by John Lander. I was also delighted to attend a local talk by Helen Frost, who shared highlights from her new book Voices from the Great War Women’s Land Army, published last year. Her work makes an important contribution to what has long been an under-researched area of women’s wartime agricultural history. In a similar vein, Nicky Reynolds and her team have continued their outstanding work on Suffolk Land Girls and Lumber Jills, raising vital funds for the Suffolk WLA Trust.

Behind the scenes, I’ve also been busy continuing to create new pages dedicated to commemorating the service of individual women. Many of you have generously completed questionnaires about your own or your family members’ wartime service. This year, I added 14 new profiles of Second World War Land Girls and 2 new profiles of First World War Land Girls to the website. I’ve also greatly enjoyed connecting journalists with former Land Girls, helping to share their stories and experiences during this important anniversary year. It was also an honour to speak on the panel ‘The Power Behind the Plough: Women and the Land’ at the Chalke Valley History Festival, alongside Helen Rebanks and Baroness Minette Batters.

I would like to conclude by offering heartfelt thanks to Stuart Antrobus, Catherine Procter, and my family, especially my sister Skye, whose support has been invaluable.

As always, thank you to everyone who continues to support the website and to honour and remember the work of the Women’s Land Army and the Women’s Timber Corps.

Wishing all readers a happy and healthy 2026.

Dr Cherish Watton-Colbrook