WW1 era postcard of farm workers with several Land Girls who are wearing Land Army armbands to distinguish them from the farm labourers and to show that they are on active war service. Photo taken at the Newlands, circa 1917,
A couple of the women are wearing armbands - these were part of the uniform of the Women’s Land Army (WLA). In 1917 with British men fighting overseas and unable to produce better harvests to replace food shortages as a result of diminished shipments of imported foods as ships were being targeted by enemy action, Britain faced starvation so women were recruited to work on the land. There was resistance to the Land Girls from farm labourers so armbands were issued to make it clear that these girls were workers on active war service and should be treated as such. Interestingly both land girls wear watches which are absent from the other girls' wrists - are they middle class? It is not known which Newlands the photo refers to. A Land Army Agricultural Service badge was given after two months of service and an armband after three months’ service. After working for the Women’s Land Army for six months, workers received a ribbon to show that they had upheld a high standard of work and conduct
Size: 6970px × 4509px
Location: UK
Photo credit: © ThislifeThen / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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