Nine members of the Women’s Land Army were presented with medals at The Old Government House Hotel yesterday. Foreground, left to right, Bunty Kettlety, B. Clegg, Joyce Elson, J. De Garis. Middle row, left to right, I. Benoist, Joyce Stonebridge, Dorothy Norman, Joan Harley and Pat Bennalick. Back row, left to right, Lady Malbon, Sir Fabian Malbon and event organiser Evan Ozanne. (0630447)
NINE people were recognised for their war efforts in a ceremony at Government House yesterday.
Seven were presented with Women’s Land Army badges while two more, awarded posthumously, were collected by the recipients’ daughters.
Lt-Governor Sir Fabian Malbon told guests that the Women’s Land Army badge was a very important award.
‘The problem is that people who were involved with the war did not speak about it with their kids and those children, like me, never asked about it,’ he said.
‘Hopefully, now things are opening up more and the grandchildren are asking the questions.’
It was important to remember the sacrifices that people made during the war and what was achieved by it, he said.
‘The work that these women did during the war on the land or in munitions changed society radically. It brought women to the fore and we can never go back.’
The British Government formed the Women’s Land Army and the Women’s Timber Corps in 1940. The aim was to counter the loss to agriculture of more than 45,000 men who had joined the armed services or who were working in other essential jobs to support the war effort.
By 1944, more than 80,000 women volunteers were working on the land.
The British Government recently decided it would recognise the women’s efforts in supporting the war effort. Badges and citations were issued to all former WLA and WTC members through the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
The prime minister presented 50 badges to selected former land girls but the rest were sent through the post.
Major Evan Ozanne worked to try and find Guernsey residents who were eligible for badges and the Lt-Governor agreed to present them in person.
‘It was so nice to do it in this way rather than send them through the post,’ said Mr Ozanne.
‘I was just very sad that I didn’t find a lumberjill from the Women’s Timber Corps who used to cut down trees to make props for the coals mines. I’m sure they would have had arms like Popeye.’
Recipients were: Bunty Kettlety, Joyce Elson, Dorothy Norman, Joyce Stonebridge, Mrs I. Benoist, Mrs J. de Garis, Mrs B. Clegg, Joyce de la Mare and Winnie Crump.
Article posted on 28th August, 2008 - 1.00pm
Loading ...
Most Commented: