WOMEN’S LAND ARMY

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 October 1939, Page 8

WOMEN’S LAND ARMY

RUSH OF VOLUNTEERS LONDON, August 28. Mrs. Walter Elliot, wife of the Minister of Health, and chairman of the London committee of* the Women’s Land Army, was hard at work at the London headquarters of the army in Tothill Street, S.W., yesterday. She was greatly encouraged by the fine response of recruits. “We have had 150 applicants in the past few days,” she said. “That applies to London alone. At the Ministry of Agriculture, where they receive the applications, they had 300 on Thursday and 400 on Friday. “They have been record days for us. In London alone we now have 2,000 members, and throughout the country the Women’s Land Army totals about 14,000.” Surrounding Mrs. Elliot was a staff of 12 who had given up their weekend leisure to deal with the rush of new volunteers. From London alone, 200 girls have completed their training on the land this year, and Mrs. Elliot said that farmers had been so pleased -with them that quite a number had asked that, in the event of war, the girls whom they had observed training on their farms should be sen! back to them. “Many of the volunteers are office workers, and they include stenographers, typists, factory hands, and women of independent means,” said Mrs. Elliot. “There has been a great rush of volunteers in the past few days, bue we are open for still more.”