Land Girl remembers halcyon days (From Wiltshire Times)

Land Girl remembers halcyon days

12:23pm Friday 1st August 2008

• Print
• Email
• Share

AS thousands of former Land Girls received special badges of honour in recognition of their contribution during the Second World War, one Trowbridge woman has recollected her own experience of the halcyon days and hard work.

Winnie Sykes, 91, of The Croft, was just 24 when she went to work on a farm, first looking after poultry and later a herd of dairy cows.

She received the medal and certificate on Friday, just two days before her 91st birthday.

Miss Sykes said: "I wanted to do something for the war and I couldn't join the forces because I'm deaf.

"So I joined the Land Army I wanted to wear the breeches. They were corduroy, rather like plus fours, and you had to wear long socks with them."

Originally from Kent, Miss Sykes had to go to college for two months to learn the skills of the trade before beginning work on a poultry farm.

She said: "I hated it, looking after hens they're cannibals.

"The only good thing was going home at the weekends when you got to take what you wanted eggs, butter, cheese and of course, chicken.

"One thing I had to do was to kill one. It was terrible, I finally managed to do it but I hated it."

She then moved back to her home town of Whitstable where she worked on a dairy farm for four years, and later moved to a fruit farm in Faversham tending hops and picking fruit, pruning fruit trees and growing tomatoes in a large greenhouse.

The best thing about being in the Land Army according to Miss Sykes was the friendships she made working alongside people in the fields, but it could also be hard work when it was wet or snowy.

Later Miss Sykes worked as matron and then bursar at Stonar School in Atworth and at County Hall in Trowbridge.

Hilary Benn, secretary of state for the environment, food and rural affairs, announced in December 2007 that the Land Girls would receive formal recognition for the first time.

At its peak in 1943 there were 80,000 Land Girls working on the land from dawn till dusk to provide food for the nation during war.

• Print
• Email
• Share