135:
303:
24:
233:
working in forestry by 1945 The corps was a mobile organisation so the workers could be posted anywhere and moved frequently as work required. One of the major difficulties the women faced was in finding accommodation as in most cases they had to find their own accommodation and many householders
142:
As many of the women who had joined the
Forestry Commission came from the WLA, the WLA took over the administration and recruitment for the WTC and although the WTC was officially part of the WLA it retained a separate identity. The uniforms were identical except that the WTC replaced the WLA felt
266:
rather than a set wage as paid to the women of the WLA, this resulted in the average WTC wage being higher than the WLA. The overall wages though was lower than the national average of just over 62 shillings per week being earned by women in industry during the later war years. Towards the end of
257:
Initial training consisted of a four to six week course at one of the Corps depots at
Culford, Hereford, Lydney or Wetherby before being posted elsewhere. The work was heavy and arduous but there was a grudging acceptance from farmers and foresters that the women of the WTC were as good as the men
254:, driving tractors, trucks, working with horses and operating sawmills. A more specialist skill was measuring which was the job of assessing the amount of timber in a tree, measuring the amount of timber felled, surveying new woodlands and identifying trees for felling.
134:
313:
On 10 October 2007 Forestry
Commission Scotland unveiled a national memorial to the women of the WTC in the form of a life size bronze sculpture by Malcolm Robertson. The statue is in the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park near
628:
909:
290:
In 2012, the
Forestry Commission marked the 70th anniversary of the WTC. On Remembrance Day 2012, BBC Countryfile broadcast a tribute to the work of the WTC with veteran members, filmed in the
234:
were reluctant to take the women in as they considered them dirty or held other prejudices against women workers. One women recalled that she stayed at over 80 different billets in two years.
217:
The corps was divided into nine geographic areas responsible for the work and welfare of the women in that area. Accommodation ranged from purpose built hutted camps, through small hotels and
118:
started recruiting women both as forestry workers but also to work in sawmills. In 1942 responsibility passed from the
Forestry Commission to the Home Timber Production Department of the
914:
325:
In
October 2014, a memorial statue to both the Women's Land Army and the Women's Timber Corps was formally unveiled at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire.
944:
284:
650:
279:. Other than this no recognition of the WTC (or the WLA) was made and it was not until 2000 that former members of the WTC were allowed to take part in the annual
929:
620:
225:. Never as large as the WLA, the WTC did have a maximum strength estimated at being between 6,000 and 13,000 at its peak size in 1943 working throughout the
924:
934:
740:
721:
302:
780:
287:
announced that all surviving members of the WTC would be entitled to wear a new badge to commemorate their service in the Corps.
276:
919:
904:
389:
654:
214:
Many of the women rarely wore the full uniform and instead they wore what was comfortable and/or practical to work in.
114:
had been formed to help with the war effort. In 1940 to solve a labour shortage and an increased demand for timber the
307:
267:
the war some of the women were considered skilled enough to be posted to
Germany to help salvage the sawmills there.
122:
and the 1,200 women already working for the
Forestry Commission or in forestry jobs as part of their service in the
939:
319:
262:
per week for treefellers with measurers earning more at about 50 shillings per week. The women were paid
94:, replacing men who had left to join the armed forces. Women who joined the WTC were commonly known as
23:
28:
A member of the Women's Timber Corps stripping bark from a felled tree to be used as a telegraph pole.
682:
624:
123:
315:
115:
767:
280:
119:
841:
736:
717:
831:
823:
759:
230:
861:
862:"'The Forgotten Army of the Woods': The Women's Timber Corps during the Second World War"
836:
812:"The Health of Forestry Workers: A Survey of the Women's Timber Corps of Great Britain"
791:
683:"Memorial Arboretum Land Girls monument unveiled after three-year fundraising campaign"
291:
275:
The WTC was disbanded in 1946 when each member was awarded a personal letter signed by
226:
898:
771:
763:
750:
Gazeley, Ian (2008). "Women's Pay in
British Industry during the Second World War".
251:
87:
393:
107:
811:
416:
138:
Two members of the WTC cutting pit props during their basic training at
Culford
263:
195:
668:
845:
242:
The work of the WTC included all the jobs involved with forestry including
259:
247:
207:
91:
888:
Meet the Members: A record of the Timber Corps of the Women's Land Army
243:
191:
178:
160:
827:
222:
218:
229:. This compared with over 51,000 men and 48,000 Italian and German
301:
133:
342:
340:
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86:(WTC) was a British civilian organisation created during the
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456:
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357:
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Formed in 1942, the origins of the WTC go back to the
875:(1). British Agricultural History Society: 101–112.
67:
57:
49:
41:
33:
712:Brayley, Martin J & McGregor, Malcolm (2005).
285:Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
910:Women's organisations based in the United Kingdom
346:
915:United Kingdom home front during World War II
258:they had replaced. Pay ranged from 35 to 46
8:
16:
392:. Forestry Commission. 2007. Archived from
22:
15:
945:1942 establishments in the United Kingdom
835:
758:(3). Economic History Society: 651–671.
460:
361:
143:hat for a beret and wore the WTC badge.
816:Occupational and Environmental Medicine
595:
583:
571:
559:
547:
511:
499:
487:
373:
334:
890:. Bristol: Bennett Brothers Ltd. 1945.
621:"Veterans Badge for former Land Girls"
271:Disbandment and subsequent recognition
733:Lumberjills: Britain's Forgotten Army
653:. Forestry Commission. Archived from
631:from the original on 20 November 2020
7:
930:Organizations disestablished in 1946
607:
535:
523:
472:
437:
384:
382:
126:(WLA) became part of the new corps.
417:"The Women's Timber Corps Uniform"
14:
925:Organizations established in 1942
764:10.1111/j.1468-0289.2007.00412.x
714:The British Home Front 1939–1945
283:parade in London. In 2007, the
203:a green armlet and a metal badge
146:A full set of kit consisted of:
390:"Women's Timber Corps Memorial"
935:Forestry in the United Kingdom
790:(12/09): 40–41. Archived from
1:
165:6 pairs of woollen knee socks
810:Swanston, Catherine (1946).
869:Agricultural History Review
752:The Economic History Review
669:"Ellie And The Lumberjills"
347:Brayley & McGregor 2005
308:National Memorial Arboretum
961:
153:2 pairs of riding breeches
651:"Calling all lumberjills"
21:
415:Elder, Rosalind (2009).
17:Women's Timber Corps
779:Hendrie, James (2009).
419:. womenstimbercorps.com
920:Forestry organizations
860:Vickers, Emma (2011).
689:. BBC. 21 October 2014
310:
181:or boots with leggings
139:
112:Women's Timber Service
905:Women in World War II
731:Foat, Joanna (2019).
716:. Osprey Publishing.
305:
174:1 pair of brown shoes
137:
625:Royal British Legion
502:, pp. 105, 110.
84:Women's Timber Corps
526:, pp. 124–126.
514:, pp. 109–110.
396:on 1 September 2013
168:3 beige knit shirts
116:Forestry Commission
18:
671:. BBC Countryfile.
311:
281:Remembrance Sunday
140:
120:Ministry of Supply
940:Women in forestry
828:10.1136/oem.3.1.1
735:. History Press.
627:. 17 March 2014.
440:, pp. 40–41.
298:National memorial
187:1 melton overcoat
124:Women's Land Army
80:
79:
952:
891:
876:
866:
856:
854:
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822:(1). BMJ: 1–10.
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788:Forestry Journal
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306:Memorial at the
231:prisoners of war
88:Second World War
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881:Further reading
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277:Queen Elizabeth
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156:2 overall coats
150:2 green jerseys
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108:First World War
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70:
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29:
12:
11:
5:
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598:, p. 658.
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292:Forest of Dean
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76:6,000 – 13,000
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63:United Kingdom
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59:Region served
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781:"Lumberjills"
777:
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723:1-84176-661-5
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610:, p. 16.
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475:, p. 54.
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461:Swanston 1946
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362:Swanston 1946
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349:, p. 51.
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184:1 green beret
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868:
849:. Retrieved
819:
815:
799:. Retrieved
792:the original
787:
755:
751:
732:
713:
691:. Retrieved
686:
677:
663:
655:the original
645:
633:. Retrieved
615:
603:
596:Gazeley 2008
591:
584:Vickers 2011
579:
572:Hendrie 2009
567:
560:Vickers 2011
555:
548:Vickers 2011
543:
531:
519:
512:Vickers 2011
507:
500:Vickers 2011
495:
488:Vickers 2011
468:
463:, p. 3.
433:
421:. Retrieved
410:
398:. Retrieved
394:the original
374:Vickers 2011
369:
364:, p. 1.
324:
312:
289:
274:
256:
252:crosscutting
241:
216:
213:
171:1 pair boots
145:
141:
130:Organisation
111:
105:
96:Lumber Jills
95:
83:
81:
34:Abbreviation
635:20 November
423:20 November
250:, loading,
221:to private
159:2 pairs of
110:, when the
90:to work in
42:Established
899:Categories
706:References
693:8 November
264:piece-work
196:mackintosh
177:1 pair of
772:153997591
608:Foat 2019
536:Foat 2019
524:Foat 2019
473:Foat 2019
438:Foat 2019
316:Aberfoyle
260:shillings
210:hat badge
161:dungarees
102:Formation
50:Dissolved
851:23 April
846:20983522
801:23 April
687:BBC News
629:Archived
400:23 April
320:Stirling
248:snedding
208:bakelite
200:2 towels
179:gumboots
92:forestry
837:1035717
244:felling
223:billets
219:hostels
192:oilskin
844:
834:
770:
739:
720:
238:Duties
71:(1943)
69:Staff
865:(PDF)
795:(PDF)
784:(PDF)
768:S2CID
329:Notes
853:2010
842:PMID
803:2010
737:ISBN
718:ISBN
695:2015
637:2020
425:2020
402:2010
82:The
53:1946
45:1942
832:PMC
824:doi
760:doi
194:or
37:WTC
901::
873:59
871:.
867:.
840:.
830:.
818:.
814:.
786:.
766:.
756:61
754:.
685:.
623:.
480:^
445:^
381:^
354:^
337:^
322:.
318:,
294:.
246:,
206:a
190:1
98:.
855:.
826::
820:3
805:.
774:.
762::
745:.
726:.
697:.
639:.
427:.
404:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
