Wednesday 9 May 2012

Women In Wartime - How Iris Became A Land Girl

I am glad you enjoyed the post on our Wartime housewife Olive's busy day. Next in my mini-series of posts of images from the Imperial War Museum, is about the Women's Land Army during WWII. The photographs as before were taken by the ministry of information to aid recruiting and boost morale, and this is the story of Iris Joyce and how she became a Land Girl.
19 year old typist Iris Joyce at work on her typewriter in an office somewhere in Britain, two weeks before her re-training as a member of the Women's Land Army. The original Ministry of Information caption states that Iris was the perfect typist until "...came the third year of war, and a new restlessness".
Iris Joyce talks with a recruiting officer as she enrols in the Women's Land Army.
Iris Joyce (nearest to the camera) and fellow new recruits to the Women's Land Army arrive at the Northampton Institute of Agriculture at the start of four weeks training, carrying suitcases. According to the original caption, Iris gets free board and lodging and 10 shillings personal allowance during training.


Iris Joyce, is weighed at the Northampton Institute of Agriculture, during 1942.
Three Women's Land Army trainees enjoy a 'mite' of milk before their day of training begins at the Northampton Institute of Agriculture. It is 6 o'clock in the morning.
24 year old Anne Keys reverses a tractor out of a shed during her training at the Northampton Institute of Agriculture. She is checking over her shoulder to make sure that all is well as she parks. Before the war, Anne was assistant forewoman in a boot and shoe factory.
27 year old Dorothy Lacey was a waitress before volunteering for the Land Army. She had been bombed out in Bristol and in Bath before training here at the Northampton Institute of Agriculture. Here we see her preparing to feed the chickens, pushing a wheelbarrow full of seed towards the chicken huts.
Members of the Women's Land Army put the finishing touches to a large haystack as part of their training at the Northampton Institute of Agriculture. They are removing the pieces of corrugated iron which form the ventilation framework for the stack.
Sylvia Smith was a shorthand typist before beginning her Land Army training at the Northampton Institute of Agriculture. Here she ties beans or peas to stakes.
A first week Land Army student operates the milk cooler and separator as part of her training at the Northampton Institute of Agriculture. She is pouring a bucket full of milk through the cooler and the milk can be seen trickling down the corrugated surface of the separator and into a churn below.
Three Land Girls work with hoes in a field as part of their training at the Northampton Institute of Agriculture.
Sylvia Smith sprays tomatoes in a greenhouse as part of her training at the Northampton Institute of Agriculture. A shorthand typist before the war, Sylvia hopes to go into horticultural, greenhouse, work.
 Iris Joyce learns to drive a horse-drawn hay rake as part of her training at the Northampton Institute of Agriculture near Moulton in 1942.
After a hard day's training at the Northampton Institute of Agriculture, Land Girls enjoy a sing-song around the piano, played by Iris Joyce.
After four weeks training at the Northampton Institute of Agriculture, Iris Joyce (fourth from left) and friends sit in a railway carriage as they leave Northampton to travel to their respective farms.
Iris Joyce (right) takes tea with her new employers upon arrival at her first farm somewhere in Britain. Seated at the table with Iris are the farmer and his wife and their two sons. According to the original caption "...you need farm teas when you are working on the land"!

Land Girl Iris Joyce receives her first week's pay from the farmer with whom she is billeted. Prior to her assignment to this farm, somewhere in Britain, Iris underwent four weeks training at the Northampton Institute of Agriculture to transform her from a typist into a Land Girl.
All images and Quoted text are taken from the Imperial War Museums Collection Archive

Wendy x


For More posts from the Imperial War Museum Archive Click the Picture Post Tab at the top of the Page!!

11 comments:

  1. Oh, lovely! And it always interesting to see ordinary people, how they did their hair, for example. I love all those gorgous movie star pictures, but they are fixed for the occasion. :)

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  2. Fab photos - those girls did a wonderful job! x

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  3. I absolutely love this series you are doing! x

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  4. So interesting and lovely to see. Wonder what became of Iris Joyce and if she'd be surprised to know that women nowadays are so intrigued by her life? What do you think her weight had to do with her ability to do her job???!!

    K xx

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  5. Love this series! Keep going1 Absolutely fascinating, thank you so much for sharing :) xxx

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  6. Do you know, I never tire of seeing or reading anything to do with the land army. Totally fascinating. x x x

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  7. NO FREAKING WAY! I am actually at the 'Northampton Institute of Agriculture' (now Moulton College) and I can recognise it from the pictures! I'm officially a 'Land girl' (and def having a mite of milk at 6 am tomorrow)!! x

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  8. Interesting post....didn't know much about Land Girls before this! I wonder if I could have ever passed the training....I'm terrible at typing and hopeless with planting...think the chickens would have been the ones chasing me around! :)
    Thanks for the lovely comments as always and sorry for the late reply...been a little out of loop the past week. Hope all is well and have a fabulous weekend my lovely!
    May xx
    walkinginmay.blogspot.com

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  9. What great pictures! I love social History .. reminds me so much of my Granny too..

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