The Blitz Kids are doing their part to help grow food during the war, as Britain needs to become self-sufficient because ships bringing food are now needed for the war effort and are often attacked by German submarines.
George shares how he’s helping by growing vegetables at home and at the local allotment, but he knows it’s just a small contribution. His cousin Betty, who lives on a farm in Suffolk, tells him about the Women’s Land Army, a group of women who have come from cities to help on farms, growing more crops and caring for animals. Some of these women, like Peggy and Edna, have never even seen a cow before, and their adventures on the farm lead to some funny moments, like when Edna falls into a pigsty!
Embed from Getty ImagesIn the countryside, Betty’s family uses a tractor to help with the farmwork, which is much quicker than using horses. George imagines how different things must be on the farm compared to the city. Meanwhile, Robbie, who’s been evacuated to Hampshire, is having fun helping with the watercress harvest and gathering moss for the front lines.
Embed from Getty ImagesDiscover how important it is to grow food and protect crops, with the Women’s Land Army making a huge impact. By 1943, over 80,000 women were working to help feed the country. George learns from Betty’s letters about the funny (and sometimes chaotic) things the Land Girls do, like creating traps to catch rabbits, which were pests that could damage crops.
Embed from Getty ImagesNext time: The Blitz Kids notice how many roles are now being filled by women, including jobs that were once done by men.
Find Out More…
If you want to find out more, check out the Museum for English Rural Life
Can you spot this?
This unusual painted sign is a rare example of a WW2 sign that marks an “Emergency Water Supply” – large static water tanks, originally formed from the sealed basements of bombed out building, but later often purpose built tanks. It is in Hammersmith – by the junction of Hammersmith Road and Brook Green.
