Women's Land Army Breeches

Women’s Land Army uniform

The Women’s Land Army (WLA) played a vital role in keeping Britain fed during the Second World War, stepping in when thousands of male farm workers left for military service.

First established in 1917, the WLA was reformed in June 1939 as the threat of war loomed. At first, women were encouraged to volunteer, but by December 1941 they could be conscripted. By its peak in 1944, more than 80,000 women – fondly known as ‘land girls’ – were working on farms across Britain.

Land girls undertook demanding and often dirty work: milking cows, lambing, harvesting crops, catching rats and maintaining farms. Despite the physical nature of their labour, they were paid 28 shillings a week. This compared with 38 shillings for male workers. Half of their wages were deducted for board and lodging.

Working long hours in all weathers, the women of the WLA could be sent wherever they were needed, adapting to unfamiliar places and challenging conditions. Their resilience and hard work were essential to Britain’s wartime survival.

Gladys Muriel Carr, Women’s Land Army Girl 1945-46.

The breeches in the photo above once belonged to Gladys Muriel Carr. Before the war, Gladys worked in London as a General Post Office telephonist, connecting voices across the city. On 22nd May 1945, aged just 21, she joined the WLA and was sent to work on farms in Surrey. Gladys remained with the WLA until 5th January 1946, leaving after the war ended.

These breeches were carefully preserved by her family. Gladys’ sister, Sylvia, and her brother-in-law, Tony, lived at various addresses in Walton and Weybridge. Tony, a former Town Planner, knew Avril Lansdell (Head Curator of Weybridge Museum) and Morag (Assistant Curator at Weybridge Museum) and later passed Gladys’ breeches on to them, ensuring that her story would not be forgotten.