‘My Devonshire Darlings – The Women’s Land Army in Devon’, A talk by Rebekah Pearson.
By the end of 1943 over 1700 women were serving in the Women’s Land Army and subsequently the Women’s Timber Corps in Devon. Living and toiling individually on farms or as part of a gang that lodged in a hostel and worked on the land wherever they were needed, the Land Girls and Lumber Jills were crucial to maintaining food supplies during the Second World War.
Becks Pearson, an ex Royal Naval Officer who lives locally in Lympstone is currently creating a Roll of Honour to ensure that their contribution to the war effort is not forgotten and neither are they. “These extraordinary women who came from the big cities and all walks of life, volunteering to leave home not knowing where they were going or what they would be expected to do, some as young as 17, deserve to be remembered and honoured in the same way that the regular Forces were. I hope that by continuing to talk about what they did and how they did it, along with retelling some of their amazing stories that the Devonshire Darlings, as I like to call them, will live on in all our memories.”
Becks is actively searching to find as many of ‘the gals’ who served in Devon during the war as she can. She gives talks to local groups and attends agricultural events throughout the county and would love to hear from anyone with a WLA connection.
Tickets: £5.00 (10% discount for AHC members). Please buy or reserve your ticket(s) from Axminster Heritage Centre.
Axminster Heritage Centre, Thomas Whitty House, Silver Street, Axminster, Devon, EX13 5AH. www.axminsterheritage.org Email: info@axminsterheritage.org Tel: 01297 639884. Axminster Heritage Centre is a registered charity. Charity no: 1113818.
