As WW11 approached, one woman challenged the agricultural establishment, putting women at the forefront of a new rural workforce.
Lady Gertrude Denman’s drive, character and efficiency were key to the success of the Women’s Land Army. Active throughout her life in women’s rights, including the the promotion of the Women’s Suffrage movement, it was her role in the formation and running of the Women’s Land Army that would eventually take over her life, and her home.
Born 1884 into a privileged lifestyle, it was her parents, her mother a committed feminist, her father a staunch Liberal, who taught Gertrude Pearson that her status and wealth could be used to improve the world around her.
From the beginning Lady Denman was involved in a number of progressive organisations. She sat on the Executive Committee of the Women’s Liberal Federation from 1908-1910. After returning from a short spell in Australia where her husband was Governor-General, she became involved with the Agricultural Organisation Society, a government sponsored body. From here she went on to become national chairman of the Women’s Institute, a role that would stand her in good stead for her work with the WLA.
A failed harvest in 1917 coupled with German naval blockades meant that by the time the Women’s Land Army was formed in 1917, Britain was said to be left with just three weeks of food reserves. Between March 1917 and May 1919, 23,000 worked full time in the Women’s Land Army, of which Lady Denman acted as Assistant Honorary Director from its formation till it was disbanded in 1919.
In 1938, Lady Denman was approached by the Ministry of Agriculture to reform the Land Army. Using her network of contacts from the WI, she began making plans immediately setting up committees in each county to oversee the running and recruiting of women to the organisation. But her plans faced delays they could ill afford.
By 1939 Britain was heavily dependent on the foreign import of food. From her experience during WW1, Lady Denman understood the central role agriculture would play in winning the war.
It took until June 1939, before the Land Army was ready to begin recruiting. The organisation was arranged in a pyramid system headed by Lady Denman and Inez Jenkins, her assistant. Below were seven regional offices who liaised between headquarters and the regions. At the base were 52 county committees responsible for enrolling, equipment and placing the girls. Liaising between the land girls, farmers and the county offices were the voluntary representatives.
The main headquarters of the organisation was Balcombe Place, the home given to Lady Denman by her father at the age of 21. Every inch of the estate was used, including the garages, stables and squash courts which were turned into warehouses and used to store uniforms.
Bringing in the harvest and overseeing the ploughing of 2 million extra aches of land for agriculture were immediate problems. A huge push on recruitment saw 17,000 women enrol by the outbreak of war. Unfortunately farmers and agricultural workers were far from welcoming to the newly recruited work force, voicing their feelings that the idea of women attempting farm work was ridiculous.
But by the end of December 1939, 4,500 girls had been placed at farms round the country and due to their hard work, a change in attitude started to be felt. At its peak in 1943 over 80,000 women were working as land girls – a fantastic achievement and one due in part to the drive and determination of Lady Denman.
Throughout her time as Director, Lady Denman worked hard for the girls in her charge fighting to ensure they were treated well and received a fair wage. She eventually resigned in 1945 in protest of land girls not receiving the same post war benefits as women in other civilian posts.
The land army was finally disbanded on 30th November 1950. At their final parade in front of the Queen she observed the land girls had ‘obeyed the call of duty in the nations’s hour of great peril and need, and the nation owed them everlasting debt’.
