Over one hundred women or their families responded to articles in local papers to find the forgotten Lumberjills. Joanna travelled the country to meet over 60 of the women. In their late eighties and nineties, many of them could not believe anyone was interested in their story after all that time.
Audrey Broad (above) one of the first women Joanna met. She said, "It was only many years later that I began to realize that we were not appreciated for what we had done. It was a long time afterwards that I began to think we should have got some recognition. We didn’t get any money. We were not even allowed to keep our uniforms. I thought that was dreadful." She was one of many that felt the same way.
More than 60 years later, when most of the women were in their 80’s, the prime minister, then Gordon Brown, finally presented them with a badge. But to their disappointment the badge bore a wheatsheaf, the emblem of the Women’s Land Army, not a pine tree or a pair of crossed axes the badges they had been so proud to wear during wartime.
The women went back into traditional roles of clerical and shop work, teaching, domestic service or got married.
“It's wonderful to read these stories of the women who contributed so much to the war effort but were then forgotten about.
Thanks to Joanna's perseverance and determination, they are now being rightly honoured and remembered.”
"The hardback photo book is a beautiful gift and its wonderful photos truly bring stories about these incredible Lumberjills to life. Thank you for putting this photographic record together, Jo, and ensuring this part of history will be remembered for generations to come."
“Joanna Foat’s characters
are brilliantly drawn and so
wonderfully written, readers will end up missing them when they turn the last page.
Written with style, flair and heart, this evocative, entertaining and gloriously readable historical novel is a delight from beginning to end and I look forward to reading more books from Joanna Foat.”
© Copyright Joanna Foat 2024