83/65/2

Home Front Henley, Belonging

This is a green armband lined with white cotton. It has three stripes and a crown in red felt stitched on it. There is also a green and red diamond at one side. It is inscribed, 'Phyllis M. Fenner. 1623'. The armband was used by the donor, whose maiden name was Fenner, when she was in the Women's Land Army during the First World War. It would have been worn on the left arm above the elbow. She was 16 years old at the time. The crown signifies that the W.L.A. was a government department and had a Royal patron. The red chevron stripes denote 6 months service in the W.L.A.

1 armband: felt, cotton, good condition.

MERL 'Handwritten accession' form (Institute of Agricultural History) – 'Standard museum name: ARMBAND // Accession number: 83/65/2 // Classification: PERSONAL Clothing accessory // Negative number: 60/14430 // Acquisition method: Gift // Acquired from, date: Mrs P. McQuown, [...], August 1983 // Store: small stores // Condition: good // Recorder, date: JMB 21.9.83 // Description: A green armband lined with white cotton. It has three stripes and a crown in red felt stitched on it. There is also a green and red diamond at one side. // Inscription: Phyllis M. Fenner. 1623 // Dimensions: Diameter: 10.5cm; Width: 6.5cm // Associated information: This armband was used by Miss Fenner when she was in the Women's Land Army during the 1st World War. It would have been worn on the left arm above the elbow. She was 16 at the time. The crown signifies that the W.L.A. was a government department and had a Royal patron. The red and green diamond denotes one year's service in the W.L.A. // A conversation by telephone with the Records Office at the Imperial War Museum produced the following information. // References about the Womens Land Army // 1 An official History // 2 The Women's Land Army by V. Sackville-West MERL 8330 // 3 Land Girl, A manual for Volunteers in the Womens Land Army by W. E. Shewell-Cooper. Published in London by English University Press 1940? // This book describes the significance of the diamond on the armband. Each half-diamond denotes 6 months good service. // There did not seem to be any information about the significance of the stripes. // References:', Letter, P. McQuown (nee Fenner) to MERL, 1983 – 'To the Institute of Agricultural History // I am enclosing the Land Army Badge I wore in the 1915-1918 war. I understand from Mr Balard[?] you already have my arm badge. I am now 83 & was only 16 when I joined the Land Army. // Yours sincerely // P. McQuown nee Fenner', MERL label - Belonging Exhibition - Women in war // This tie belonged to Margaret Edmunds during the second world war. At the age of 24 she took a break from her studies and enrolled in the Women’s Land Army, they gave her this as part of her uniform. She worked in food provision for hospitals and nursing homes. Eventually trained as a supervisor she worked with prisoners of war and volunteers. After the war she resumed her studies. // This armband belonged to Phyllis Fenner during the First World War. At the age of 16 she was a part of the Women’s Land Army. The red and green diamond represents one year’s service. // Women’s Land Army tie // 2003/13 // Women’s Land Army armband // 83/65/2

1914 - 1918

Fibre, wool, Fibre, cotton