Cinderellas of the Soil by Nancy Cooper (2007)

Once upon a time when supermarkets didn’t exist

There was a bloke named Hitler we had duty to resist

He thought he would starve us and leave us short of food

Being patriotic we all rose up against him, it put us in that sort of mood

Farmers neglected by the government, were suddenly in the fore

And that same Government suddenly demanded that farmers were needed once more

They also needed soldiers so they recruited many men

That left them short of labour, so what do you think happened then?

Yes, they needed women, call it the Land Army they decided,

They trained them for a short time, so labour to the farmers was provided.

The farmers were horrified, it filled them with dread!

But our enthusiasm soon changed their attitude and they accepted us instead

We set to work with gusto and tackled every task

We fought our war in the fields, what more could they ask?

As for the milkmaids, although not of that ilk

We quickly discovered which end to obtain the milk

Our ‘war’ continued until 1950, long after the War finished

Then we were DISBANDED, DISMISSED AND DIMINISHED

All our uniform had to be returned

And the word ‘Army’ was rejected and spurned

‘Cinderellas of the Soil’ is a name with which we were dubbed

But in 2008 we are finally to be recognised, no longer snubbed

A badge will be presented to thank us for our dedication

I hope I am not on the departure list and be there for the presentation!

So many of us have departed for the great pastures in the sky!

They should have thought of it in 1950, but didn’t, I wonder why?

Women’s Land Army by Nancy Cooper (2000)

Thinking of it now seems incredible to me

Am I that same person who joined up in 1943?

Not the ATS, WAAF or Wrens with their uniform so smart

But a very special service that was nearer to my heart.

Yes, we were an army, given a number, a badge and uniformed,

But no comparison with the others were the duties we performed.

Our job was to help feed a nation whose food supply was short

We took over the jobs when the men went away and fought.

Coming from a town needed adjustment in many, many ways

The work was hard, the hours long and my body ached for days.

After serving in a shop, things were very different now

And suddenly I was faced with washing and milking a cow!

To my surprise, with capable hands, I managed very well

I was confident in this work, no doubt, I would excel.

Cows’ tails whipping round my head make me want to cry

Then cheeky kids come and watch, so you squirt them in the eye!

The cow muck is sloppy and splashes everywhere

Don’t stand in this firing line, one cough, you’ll get a share!

Milking is a seven day job, so weekends off were few

So we had to be dedicated from that point of view.

Problems were varied and had to be overcome

One of mine was related to the cow’s b–!

The smell of muck and milk permeate my clothes

Landladies don’t like it, it offends their nose

I can’t say I blame them, it wasn’t very nice

No washing machines then to do the wash within a trice.

So I move on where I can live upon the farm

The smell doesn’t matter now, so I become more calm

Out in all weathers with various jobs to do

Feeding pigs, harvesting, threshing, to mention just a few.

Then there was double summer time when we finished very late.

But on reflection, I loved the job, the outdoor life was great.

Nobody needs a million pounds to feel like a millionaire

When doing a satisfying job in the countryside’s pure air.

The countryside is different now, it’s opened up too much,

No hiding place for wildlife, with developments, motorways and such.

No cosy little fields with hedges all around

Or varieties of wild flowers where many birds abound.

So thinking about it now, it still seems incredible to me

How fortunate I was to be a member of the WOMEN’S LAND ARMY.

Super Gran by Nancy Cooper (2006)

What was the Land Army, the young boy asks?

Looking at a photograph of Gran in the past.

I thought an army was soldiers, guns and tanks

With corporals and sergeants in the ranks,

You must try to understand, Gran replied, ’cause it’s hard to compare

With todays life of plenty, when ours was a nightmare

In the freedom we have we should take a great pride

Because people made sacrifices, many of them died.

Food was a priority, without it no one can work or fight.

Many of us volunteered to assist our country in its plight

An army was formed to work on the land

We were given a uniform, a number and an armband

When the farmers saw us there was some alarm!

But we soon tackled the jobs around the farm.

In a practical sort of a way

We were the Charlie Dimmocks of our day

Gran explained fully about milking a cow

And how she had to drive a tractor and plough

Sometimes when her legs are bad

She remembers many kicks from the cows she had.

Her young grandson, how very proud

Ran to his friends, saying my super-gran milked and ploughed!