Object number
88/44/1-2
Collection
Exhibition
Description
This is a great coat which forms part of a Women’s Land Army uniform. It is made of brown wool with a cream wool lining. It has a label with a faint inscription reading ‘Greatcoat Size No. 9’ and other text now illegible. Attached to the coat is a W.L.A. armband. It is green with red edges and a crown and two diamond symbols with letters W.L.A. This coat is part of the Doreen Thorp Collection. The armband represents two years service.
Physical description
1 coat with armband: good condition
Label Text
<DIV STYLE="text-align:Justify;font-family:Georgia;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;font-size:16;color:#000000;"><P><SPAN><SPAN>WOMENS LAND ARMY UNIFORM // DETAILS // Categories Forces For Change // Theme(s) Historical era, War and conflict // Collection Clothing and Textiles // Date 1939-1947 // Object number 88/44/1-2 // DESCRIPTION // The Women’s Land Army (WLA) was created in 1915 to help farmers cope with the shortage of male labour as a result of the First World War. It was brought back into action for the Second World War, at first as voluntary service and then as a form of conscription. // Sceptics did not believe that women would be suited to the hard labour involved in farmwork, but the Army of 65,000 Land Girls went on to produce the majority of Britain’s food by 1943, happily proved the critics wrong. One such Land Girl was Doreen Thorp, whose uniform this was while she served with the WLA from 1939-1947.</SPAN></SPAN></P></DIV><DIV STYLE="text-align:Justify;font-family:Georgia;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;font-size:16;color:#000000;"><P><SPAN><SPAN><P>The Women's Land Army</P><P>During the Second World War, people were encouraged to grow food by themselves and as part of a community. One of these communities was the Women's Land Army, which trained women to work on farms. It began as a voluntary organisation, but later became compulsory. The Women's Land Army produced posters to try and persuade women to join. Many members of the Women's Land Army were new to farming and horticulture.</P><P>This coat was part of the Women's Land Aamy uniform. It was owned and donated by a woman named Doreen Thorp. She joined the Women's Land Army in 1939 and spent two months at the Midland Agriculture College. She was trained in poultry, milking, and general farm work, before going off to fulfil her duties.</P><P>88/44/1-2</P></SPAN></SPAN></P></DIV>
Archival history
MERL 'Handwritten accession' form (Museum of English Rural Life) – 'Standard museum name: COAT [ARMBAND] // Accession number: 88/44/1-2 // Classification: PERSONAL clothing garment // Negative number: 60/15874 // Acquisition method: GIFT // Acquired from: [...] AMPHILL, BEDFORD // Date: 14 June 1988 // Store: // Condition: good // Recorder: JMB // Date: 8.3.89 // Description: WOMEN'S LAND ARMY UNIFORM // Great coat made of brown wool with cream wool lining. It has shoulder tabs with buttons, 2 lapel buttons and six other buttons down the front. There are 2 pockets with flaps. // Inscription: on label: very faint // Greatcoat size No. 9 [broad arrow] & other illegible information // Dimensions: Length: 97.0 cm // Associated information: The WLA Armband is attached to the coat. It is green with red edges, crown and two diamond symbols. Letters W.L.A. Acc No. 88/44/2 Personal Clothing accessory. // For other items of W.L.A. unifrom see 83/65/1-3 & 84/35-37 // See photograph collection: Employment Temporary Agricultural Wartime WLA Neg. Nos 35/26990-9. // References: MERL Library 8330 The Women's Land Army by V. Sackville West. // Document collection: D89/6 // See also 90/55 & 93/25', MERL miscellaneous note, Georgia Charitou, September 2014 – Objects 88/44-66 form part of the Doreen Thorp Collection of material relating to the Women’s Land Army. The collection consists of papers relating to the career or Doreen Thorp in the W.L.A. from 1939-47, as well as items of clothing which form part of a W.L.A. uniform. ‘, Transcription of information about Doreen Thorp – ‘Mrs. N. D. Warren (nee Thorp) 13.6.1923 – 3.1.1988. // In September 1939 I joined the Women’s Land Army and in October I started two months training at the Midland Agricultural College in poultry, milking (hand & machine), stock and general farm work.’
Production date
1939 - 1947
Object name
Material
Technique
Dimensions
Associated subject
Associated person/institution
External document
- L:\MERL\Objects\JISC 2012\60 series negatives\60_15874.tif - High resolution image
