Yorkshire Women at War by Marion Jefferies

Author:Marion Jefferies [Jefferies, Marion]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Military, World War II, Women, Europe, Great Britain, General
ISBN: 9781473849105
Google: Kd9nCwAAQBAJ
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Published: 2015-11-30T02:56:33+00:00

Hard work shifting snow (Eden Camp Collection)

Miss Jacob-Smith did not consider the recent pantomime outing a great success, as several girls had been unable to go owing to the flu. Mrs McLeod thought it would cost £8 for two buses but it was in fact £8 for each bus!

The youngest McLeod son was now in Filey and the eldest boy was going to join his father in India next week. It was thought that they would stay in the hostel until then.

Eight of the Land Girls had the flu and Mrs McLeod insisted that Miss Jacob-Smith visited them in the dormitory.

24/1/47 There was an order for twenty mattresses to be requisitioned. A Ministry of Works man had been to see the floods around the hostel and another man would accompany him the next week. There were various requests for items of uniform.

31/1/47 Mrs McLeod wanted to know who would pay for the wireless licence for the hostel. The Forewoman had not received a letter asking her to sign on for another year.

3/2/47 The kitchen had been distempered and the new linoleum supplied. The water had also been de-limed. Mrs McLeod had returned and settled down again. A pantomime trip was organised and enjoyed by the girls. Ten girls were attending the shorthand classes held weekly in the hostel and several were making things for the local WLA handicrafts exhibition.

3/3/47 The winter was particularly harsh in 1947 and the Land Girls were employed to move the snow in the surrounding streets and in the centre of Easingwold. This continued for weeks and the girls became heartily sick of the job, feeling that they were doing work that some of the locals could have tackled. After all, they were employed to do farm work!

A group of girls rebelled against the snow shifting and said they would not do any more. However, only one entirely refused to return to work. Her version of the story was that several girls had said they would not move snow any more and would rather forfeit a day’s pay, then the others had changed their minds. She still thought she would just lose a day’s pay, but she was wrong! Miss Jacob-Smith thought that she might be dismissed.

The girl in question was not keen to live on a farm or have her release, however. She could not work at milking and had done two years’ excavation tractor driving. She was a big strong girl and would not mind going to another county but her mother was not too well and so she wanted to stay in Easingwold. Her case would be discussed at the next meeting of the WLA. The girls felt strongly about her dismissal, as they believed they should not be asked to move snow. They felt the Easingwold residents should do their own bits of pavement.

One girl said she had asked a magistrate about the matter and he had told her that the WASC was in the wrong. He advised the girl to write to her MP.

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