251441 May Isobel Thomas Womens Land Army from:Catford, London Initially I was angry at being sent to the Land Army because I had requeted to go in the Wren's having worked for Perret's near Poplar who made flags and all the naval signal ones too. I complained but was told I was to go where I was sent.
When my uniform arrived I was at work in the Highways Department of Deptford Council but my younger brother George was at home. He was waiting for me on our street corner all dressed up in my uniform when I came home from work. On the day I was to leave for Ashford in Kent my brother George was also off to the Navy so my mother went with him to Liverpool Street Station and I had to lock up and take myself and all my kit off to Catford railway station. Only our neighbour wished me luck.
I arrived and was given a land lady who lived at Spiketts Cottage and so began my life in the Land Army. Almost the first week I was bitten by the farm dog and have been afraid of dogs ever since but I had a bicycle and could look after it so I was able to mend a puncture or fix a broken chain but not for nothing - oh no. As the only girl in the family I had learned from an early age to knit and sew and especially darn for my four brothers so again I could earn an extra penny or two which I sent home to Mum. The farmers paid sixpence for every rat tail so I soon learned how to catch them and when on leave I would take my little suitcase full of rabbits home for the family taking care to carry the suitcase easily so it looked light weight.
I also played the piano so I was often carried to the Star pub in Chilham where everyone gathered. I learned to dance at the Castle. I had never danced before and this army major came and said up you come young woman just put your feet on my boots and we'll see how we go. I danced from then on and loved it.
I worked with a small gang of girls on a threshing machine which traveled about the district and at one time we had some Italian POW's working with us, well lazing about mostly while we worked. We had bread and cheese for lunch and they cooked whatever they could catch or scrounge. It was hard work but it stood me in good stead for when the war came to an end.
My fiance was taken prisoner in Singapore and spent three and a half years with the Japanese so it was a long time before I knew if he was alive. When he came home he weighed about 5 stone and could not keep his food down because he had lived on rice and very little else all those years.
Those early years after the war were hard, caring for a man, now my husband, who would take himself off and eat in a corner, not collect his wages from the tanning factory, which was the only place he could get work, because he hadn't had proper wages for so long. When we met he was working for the Home & Colonial and when he was called up he was their youngest manager. We still had rationing but I was able to keep chickens and grow our own veg so we managed but life was tough and no help like they get now.
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