|
 | |  | |
Barbara Greenshields (nee Jupp) was born in 1924. She has written a book for her family, from which I have taken an extract of her days during World War II.
'When my brother, David joined Dad at the British Power Boat Company, as an apprentice electrician, it became expensive to maintain lodgings for the both in addition to the upkeep of our home. So, in the autumn of 1942 Dad let 'Lei Lani' to Auntie's sister-in-law and our family moved to a rented house at Shirley, Southampton. I had volunteered for the Women's Land Army and went to Brinsbury, near Pulborough at about the same time.
After a month's training in milking, dairy and cowshed work I was sent to work for Mr George Newman and son (also George) at Sindles Farm, Westbourne, near Emsworth. (Due to changes in postal areas its address is now Aldsworth, near Chichester). This was as near as I could be to the Hampshire border to make my visits home as easy as possible. I shared a room in the farmhouse with Hilda, my fellow land girl, who had already been there for about a month.
We were comfortable, well looked after and truly treated as family. There were gifts of milk and eggs to take when we went home - a welcome addition to wartime rations. Ern, the cowman took us under his wing like a benevolent uncle and was always willing to instruct us in farming skills. The other workers were kind to us too. In spite of having to get up at 4.30 a.m. to hand-milk the cows, (no electricity or gas on the farm) I loved it. When I read or hear of the unfortunate experiences some WLA members had with miserable billets and resentful farm workers, I realise how extraordinarily lucky we must have been.
It was a sad time when Mr Newman (George senior) died in 1944 and, shortly afterwards when my mother died. She had been ill for sometime with a heart defect, probably due to having had rheumatic fever when she was in her teens. Apart from these times I spent four and a half very happy years at the farm until I left to be married in 1947.'
| |  | |  |
To add a comment you must first login or join for free, up in the top left corner.
|
|
