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Womens Timber Corps    The Womens Timber Corps was formed in 1942 to recruit women to work in forestry to meet the increasing demands for timber for the war effort. From the outbreak of war women had been recruited by the Forestry Commission to replace men leaving to serve in the armed forces, the Corps was formed when responsibility for timber production transferred from the the Forestry Commission to the Home Timber Production Department of the Ministry of Supply. Recruitment and administration was handled by the Women's Land Army and the uniform was the same, except that WTC members wore a green beret instead of a felt hat. Known as Lumber Jills, they worked in forests and also in saw mills. Training was provided at specialist depots and the women would then be posted wherever they were needed. If you can provide any additional information, especially on actions and locations at specific dates, please add it here. Those known to have served with Womens Timber Corps during the Second World War 1939-1945. Ball Joan Gertrude. (d. ) Bird Emily. Burgin Mary. Christie Jean. Cunningham Olive Elizabeth . Elder Rosalind. Elder Rosalind A. M. . Ldr. Fifield Millie. Frood Lindsay. Grant Elizabeth. Heggie Toni. Kane Barbara. MacDonald Jessy. Malone Charlotte. McCleavy Anna. McDermott May. McDonald Jean. McGonnigal Isabel. McHutchon Marie . McMutteridge Agnes. O'Donnell Kathy. Obee Florence. Puig Rhoda. Rice Agnes. Rodgers Jean. Rogers Stella. Smith Daphne Violet. Speirs Vera. Spoffortth Ellen . Taylor Anna Mary. Taylor Evelyn Margaret Frances. Webster Doris Ellen. Wight Minnie. The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List Records of Womens Timber Corps from other sources. The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website. Announcements 1st of September 2024 marks 25 years since the launch of the Wartime Memories Project. Thanks to everyone who has supported us over this time. The Wartime Memories Project has been running for 25 years. If you would like to support us, a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting and admin or this site will vanish from the web. 19th Nov 2024 - Please note we currently have a huge backlog of submitted material, our volunteers are working through this as quickly as possible and all names, stories and photos will be added to the site. If you have already submitted a story to the site and your UID reference number is higher than 264989 your information is still in the queue, please do not resubmit, we are working through them as quickly as possible. Looking for help with Family History Research?   Please read our Family History FAQs The free to access section of The Wartime Memories Project website is run by volunteers and funded by donations from our visitors. If the information here has been helpful or you have enjoyed reaching the stories please conside making a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting or this site will vanish from the web. If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation. Want to find out more about your relative's service? Want to know what life was like during the War? Our Library contains an ever growing number diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text. Wanted: Digital copies of Group photographs, Scrapbooks, Autograph books, photo albums, newspaper clippings, letters, postcards and ephemera relating to WW2. We would like to obtain digital copies of any documents or photographs relating to WW2 you may have at home. If you have any unwanted photographs, documents or items from the First or Second World War, please do not destroy them. The Wartime Memories Project will give them a good home and ensure that they are used for educational purposes. Please get in touch for the postal address, do not sent them to our PO Box as packages are not accepted. World War 1 One ww1 wwII second 1939 1945 battalion Did you know? We also have a section on The Great War. and a Timecapsule to preserve stories from other conflicts for future generations. Want to know more about Womens Timber Corps? There are:1318 items tagged Womens Timber Corps available in our Library   These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War. Ellen Spoffortth I was in the Womans Land Army for 3 1/2 years during WW2 in the Timber Corps. Ellen Spoffortth Add to this record. Olive Elizabeth Cunningham My mother, Olive Cunningham was a Lumber Jill during World War 2. Unfortunately I don't know too many details of her time with the Timber Corps. I believe she joined after her husband (of less than a year) Thomas Fitzpatrick was killed in action in Sicily in 1943. She was married a day after she was 20 in 1942 and widowed at 20 on 3rd of August 1943. She spent her time in either Norfolk or Suffolk and was billeted with a lovely family, who I met when I was quite young. While she was in the Timber Corps she became friends with her future sister in law, Marjorie Gaine. Marjorie went on to marry my Mum's brother, Thomas. Through Marjorie she was introduced to my father, Stanley Gaine, who was Marjorie's brother. Unfortunately my mum died fairly young, aged 50, in 1972, followed closely by my dad in 1973 (age 45). I have some photos of her in her uniform out in the fields and some of the friends she made, during what was a very difficult time for her. It's so sad I didn't get to talk or reminisce about her life but am pleased, that through her tragic loss, she met my dad and had a short but happy life with 4 children. Lesley Lordan Add to this record. Florence Obee Women's Timber Corps My mother was billeted in various places in Sussex during her time with the Timber Corp (Arundel Slinfold) Add to this record. Mary Burgin My grandma Mary Burgin served in the Timber Corps. She trained at Wetherby, then went to Leamington Spa, Staffordshire and Coventry before coming back to Yorkshire. Her best friend Peggy was Irish and came from Liverpool, her real name was Charlotte Malone. Does anyone remember my grandma? Marie Robinson Add to this record. Emily Bird My aunt Emy Bird was in the Land Army Forestry Corps, between 1941 and 1944, she left Kings Cross to commence her training in Bury St. Edmunds in East Anglia before being sent to Shadoxhurst in Ashford in Kent, where she was billeted out for the rest her time until she married, and became Mrs Sallows. The one girl she clearly remembers was Doreen Richards from Killburn, London, as they stayed together and became great friends. She has many photos of this time as one of the girls in the group prior to the war had been a photographer. My aunt is now 93 years old and quite sound of mind, and wonders if there are any other girls from that time and area out there. She remembers the young chap who drove the tractor at that time desperate to join up, but after an accident had badly damaged his back he had been left behind with the women. Add to this record. Anna Mary "Bobbie" Taylor My dear old Mum, Anna Mary Taylor, will be 92 years old in January 2012. She is still very fit & active. She served in the Timber Corps during WW2 in the south east of England where she met my dad, Frederick Sutton (sadly no longer with us.) I would love to know if any of her pals are still out there! Malcolm Sutton Add to this record. Rhoda Puig Our Nan, Rhoda Egan (nee Puig) was also at Culford (nr Bury St Edmunds) felling trees for use as pit props for the mines. Nan remembers having a toothache when she first arrived, and being sent to get the tooth pulled out that same week. She also remembers catching her foot with the axe during the summer and resting in the nurses station. Nan often organised a coach back to London for other girls who wanted to go home for the weekend. She remembers Kay Beer (who married a Canadian), and being taken to visit a mine. She says she was given slips of paper in lieu of part of her wages, that could be cashed in after the war, but that she lost quite a few of the slips. Nan is now 88 and lives in Norfolk. Olivia Dean Add to this record. Joan Gertrude Ball (d. ) I first tried to join the Woman’s Land Army when I was 16 years old but had to wait until I was 17, I finally joined up in April of 1943, they asked me if I wanted to catch rats, I told them I was afraid of mice and rats and would rather join the Timber Corps. I had to report to Culford training camp at Bury St. Edmunds for 6 weeks, 2 weeks felling, 2 weeks sawmill and 2 weeks measuring, we had to get up at 5:30am to be ready for exercises at 6:00am. My first posting was at Little Sandhurst, Crowthorne. A year later I was transferred to Hertford in Hertfordshire and worked at Bramfield with Italian prisoners of war felling, lopping, cutting and loading timber ready for shipping, after which a truck would pick us up and take us back to Hertford. While I was in Crowthorne I met a Canadian soldier at the Aldershot army base, during this time I got married, went on a honeymoon to Scotland and returned to Hertford where I served until Feb. 1946. I joined up as Joan Ball and left as Joan Prentice. Some of the girls I remember are Thelma Hope, Myrtle Bishop (nickname Lawry), Ruby Hedge (married name Morris), Irene Kelly, Peggy Brown (married name Castonguay, deceased), Francis MacLean (nickname Mac, deceased) Marjorie Millman, Della Smith & Daphne Smith (sisters) Joan Bell Barry Prentice Add to this record. Evelyn Margaret Frances Taylor Timber Corps My Mum, Evelyn Taylor joined the Womens Land Army when she was 18, all I know about that time is that she was billetted in a family house in Bath and worked sometimes in Bath but also in Bristol. She did mention that she was in the Timber Corp group and learnt to drive a tractor and used to chop down trees. When she met my Dad during her time in Bristol, she had a patch over one eye and her arm in a sling, I think she may have fallen from the tractor but not sure as she is no longer around to ask. I have two photo's of my Mum in her working uniform as well as one of her in a more official uniform. She also mentioned that she had a photograph taken for what she believed to be war time promotional footage but never got to see anything to do with that. I have looked at various websites with different stories from Land Army women but I haven't seen anything mentioned about the Timber Corp in Bath. I would love to hear from anyone who may have known my Mum or been stationed at the same place and get to hear their stories. Diane Frances Durrant Add to this record. Marie McHutchon I started work for the Benmore Forestry Commission at the age of 17, after leaving Dunoon Grammar School. In 1940 the Forestry Commission became the Women’s Land Army (FFG). I was married and became Mrs Kent in 1943 and had to resign from the Land Army when I moved to London. After the war I moved to Cornwall where I lived with my husband until he died in 1989. I have two children and 2 grandchildren. Since 2003 I have lived in Spain with my daughter, son in law and my grandson. Marie Kent Add to this record. Recomended Reading. Available at discounted prices. British Women's Uniforms in Colour Photographs (World War 2) Martin Brayley & Richard Ingham This reference book contains the uniforms of the women's services during World War II. Nearly 200 colour photographs of rare, original uniforms from private collections are featured with detailed explanatory text. This really is an extraordinarily good book if you're looking for details of women's uniforms from the WWII period. Every page has a large, clear photograph of a uniform (worn by a modern model, but with 40s styling), plus detail shots of shoes, insignia, berets and so on. More information on: British Women's Uniforms in Colour Photographs (World War 2) The 1940s Look: Recreating the Fashions, Hairstyles and Make-up of the Second World War Mike Brown "The 1940s Look" tells you everything you need to know about the fashions of wartime Britain and the impact that rationing, the Utility scheme, changing tastes and the demands of everyday life had on the styles people wore. People had to 'Make Do and Mend' - with varying degrees of ingenuity and success. Hair styles, glasses, jewellery, and tattoos were essential in creating your own fashion statement. Women's magazines advised readers on the difficulties of dressing growing children, offered instructions for making clothes and accessories, and hosted debate over whether by dressing up, women were helping or hindering the war effort. Thoroughly researched and lavishly illustrated, "The 1940s Look" tells you how civilian men, women and children dressed - and why they looked the way they did during the Second World War. It draws on contemporary sources including government advice, periodicals and books, and benefits from an entertaining narrative by author Mike Brown. More information on: The 1940s Look: Recreating the Fashions, Hairstyles and Make-up of the Second World War Wartime: Britain 1939-1945 Dr Juliet Gardiner Juliet Gardiner's 'Wartime' provides a marvellously rich, and often entertaining, recreation of life on the Home Front, 1939-45, drawing on an enormous range of oral testimony and memoir. More information on: Wartime: Britain 1939-1945 Links

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