Due to the type of work, the Lumber Jills worked alongside men who had to teach them everything about how to chop a tree, through to how to load it onto a lorry.
However, in the Corps, the role of the WLATC is being altered to meet the needs of a modern Civil Defence Service.
The aim of the WLATC is to provide structural support, which means providing key assistance in administrative type roles, plus other roles, such as Rest Centre Administration and possibly Environmental Specialist support, and other roles members of the WLATC may wish to assist in.
In these days of openness, this Arm is aimed at women wishing to support the Corps but does not restrict it to solely women. We aim to honour the service of the women who stepped up at times the country needed them to fill crucial roles, by providing another opportunity to support the development of an organisation seeking to rebuild Civil Defence as a national asset in support of emergency preparedness.
If you would like to support us by joining the WLATC, then please apply through our online application form and we can discuss how you can play a crucial part in the development of the WLATC and the Corps overall.
History of the Women's Land Army and Timber Corps
We highly recommend the ‘History of the Women’s Land Army and Women’s Timber Corps’ run by Cherish Watton. Please click on the link below to go to her website to find out more about the crucial work carried out during both World Wars.
Are you ready to honour the service of women?
Structural Support Arm
(For Administrative and Environmental support)
The Women’s Land Army & Timber Corps is a new Arm introduced into the Corps in partnership with the Soil Cinderellas, an organisation dedicated to maintaining the history of the WLA, to bring back to active service an organisation that provided a crucial service within the Civil Defence Services of World War 2.
The Women’s Land Army, known as Land Girls, replaced male farm workers who fought in the war. Coming from all backgrounds, Land Girls were critical to increasing the country’s food supply.
The Women’s Land Army, known as Land Girls, replaced male farm workers who fought in the war. Coming from all backgrounds, Land Girls were critical to increasing the country’s food supply.
The WLA was first set up in January 1917 for World War One and was re-formed in June 1939, in preparation for World War Two. Over 200,000 Land Girls worked in the WLA from June 1939 until November 1950.
The Women’s Timber Corps, known as ‘Lumber Jills’, was a separate branch of the WLA and was started in 1942 due to the German occupation of Norway causing a shortage of imported timber.
If you’re interested in becoming a part of the WLATC, please:
The Council of Civil Defence
The Council of Civil Defence is a new partnership based on the concept of the original Civil Defence Services. The CDS was a group of different organisations that came together to help and support communities during wartime.
The Council of Civil Defence’s Partnership Charter promotes positive and proactive lines of communication, to underpin and help achieve high levels of partner satisfaction.
The key principles laid out in the Partnership Charter stem from six values that we all live and breathe: integrity, knowledge, accountability, quality, standards, and credibility.