SHE was a rat catcher who served her
country during the Second World War.
Now finally Leeds land girl Cecilia
Hughes, 83, will be honoured along
with thousands of other women, more
than 65 years after she signed up
for the Women's Land Army in 1942.
Many were city girls who gained
their first experience of the
countryside to play a vital role
during the war to feed the nation.
They provided food and timber and
carried out chores needed to keep
Britain running.
Now the young women whose gruelling
work on the home front provided
essentials, will be honoured with a
commemorative badge.
Environment secretary Hilary Benn,
MP for Leeds Central, is to announce
the start of the application process
for Women's Land Army badges of
recognition tomorrow. Badges will be
presented later this year.
The move was today welcomed by Mrs
Hughes, from Horsforth.
The grandmother of seven and mother
of four, who was born and brought up
in Meanwood, left Leeds at the age
of 17 and served three years with
the WLA. She said: "I was a rat
catcher and really enjoyed it,
although we didn't have a choice to
be scared of them.
"I was evacuated from Notre Dame
school in 1939 then signed up for
the WLA in 1942. I was so innocent
at the time, not even 18.
"First I was sent to the
countryside, picking potatoes in
Wales and then to Cornwall to catch
rats. I was given a van to drive in
a team of four. They didn't have
driving tests or traffic lights in
those days. I have lots of happy
memories."
Spritely Mrs Hughes, met her husband
Fred, 89, who was in the Royal
Artillery Corps in Penzance. They
returned to Leeds in 1945 to marry.
"We were not very well recognised at
the time for our service, so it is
nice to be finally given a badge for
our contribution.
"Sadly most of my pals from those
days have died now, so they will
never know."
The move is a triumph for surviving
members of the civilian WLA and
Women's Timber Corps (WTC) who have
campaigned for decades for formal
recognition of their vital
contribution to the war effort.
An estimated 20,000 members of the
WLA and WTC are still alive, but the
badge will not be available to the
estimated 100,000 who have since
died.
At its peak in 1943, the WLA was
80,000-strong and it was not
disbanded until 1950.
The work, which included milking,
harvesting, lambing and ploughing,
was hard, the hours long, conditions
often poor and pay low but many were
inspired by a sense of patriotism
and enjoyed the camaraderie.
Mr Benn said: "I know from the many
letters I have received since the
Government announced that there
would be a badge, how much this
decision means to those still
alive."
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