Medals' presentation for WLA members

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.

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.