Say hello to the oft-forgotten British heroines of WW2 - The Womens Timber Corps affectionately known as THE LUMBERJILLS. Comprised of over 9,000 amazing women, they formed in 1942 as an off-shoot of The Womens Land Army [which had been formed to work back in WWI] for the forestry division, replacing men whod marched off to war. The LUMBERJILLS were responsible for felling, loading, and crosscutting the trees [with handheld implements, not electric] to driving tractors & trucks, and even operating the sawmills in the mens absence on the battlefield. The timber they felled was used in everything war-related from telegraph poles, road blocks & soldier boxes to gun butts & crosses for war graves. And, these ladies took their job seriously. In 1946, after the war ended and the men marched back home, their unit was disbanded & each lady was given a personal letter signed by Queen Elizabeth thanking them for their service to Queen and Country. And that was the only recognition the LUMBERJILLS received til October, 2014 when a memorial statue to both the Womens Land Army & the Womens Timber Corps was formally dedicated at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire. Now I dont know about yall, but Im thinking inside this is a love story just waitin to be written...and, by golly, I might be just the historical romance author to do it. :)
Posted on: Tue, 04 Nov 2014 20:59:55 +0000
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