WW2 LAND ARMY WOMEN
Part 2 - WW2 Women's Land Army - Dorothy Norman
By John Pownall
WW2 LAND ARMY WOMEN – class of 42?
Part 2 - WW2 Women’s Land Army – Dorothy Norman
The following article revolves around the group photo attached. The title of “Class of 42” is only a guess on my part. If it was taken at the end of a period of training I do not know. So the presumption in choosing year of 42 is based on deductions of Dorothy Norman’s age. If she enrolled at 18, it would be my guess that the photo is circa 1942, again assuming the photo was at the beginning of her service and not the end. Maybe somebody will be able to clarify.
This article is an addition to a previous story on the Our Nottinghamshire site about Dorothy Norman’s time in the Land Army. There are precious little official documents retained for families to scrutinise in their search for individual relative’s service details. Hope the following will be of interest and assistance.
When sorting through family albums the group photo was discovered. It must have been taken at some point during the war. It reminds me of a school form photo!
As can be seen the group photo is a little worse for wear, but all the ladies can clearly be identified. As a matter of interest Dorothy Norman is fourth from the right, third row from the front.
My main reason to write about this photo is it may be of interest to relatives of the remainder of the Land Army girls shown.
Fortunately Dorothy wrote most of the names and places they came from on the reverse of the photo. She wrote the details in soft pencil. The good news is that it did not leave any indents or witness marks on the picture side. The bad news is that it has faded due to handling and the ravaged of time.
The second photo is of the reverse side, which shows the hand written details. This will allow closer scrutiny by any interested parties. It may help other family researchers to add to their own records. It would be excellent if it prompted other people to add further articles to the Our Nottinghamshire site about relatives in the land Army; especially if connected to people in the picture.
After close examination using my computer and reading glasses I have tried to compile a list of their names and home towns from this photo. (Now 3 photos due to file load size).
Row Front
Name Home town
Mavis Faulkner Mansfield
Alice Hinchley Mansfield
Jean Hinda Tibshelf
Elsie ? Spileby
Norma Heasden Carlton
Peggy Peaisady Nottingham
Audry Lyon Nottingham
Rose Raslyn Grimsby
Second Row
Name Home town
Ivy Hutchinson Gotham
Edna Smith Nottingham
Margaret Parcher Nottingham
Kay Harman Leeds
Dorothy Stagrard West Bridgeford
Hilda Simms Worsop
Leah Shields Normanton
Mabel Heath Orton
Elsie Hall Nottingham
Lilion Hopkinson Nottingham
Margaret Wachley Newark
Third Row
Name Home town
Gladys Harper N---------
Marion ?????? ?????
Helen Hinson Nottingham
Dorothy Preston Nottingham
Joyce Stanley Nottingham
Dorothy Roe Nottingham
Mary Freeman ? Nottingham
Audrey Pridmore Nottingham
Dorothy Meakin Nottingham
Elsie Meakin Nottingham
The above table does not include the details of the ladies standing in the fourth (top) row. The family do not know why those details were omitted. We do not believe Dorothy would not have remembered any of her colleagues from the top row only. She probably just forgot to include them at some point.
Some of the names and places are a little hard to interpret, even when enlarged; but I have tried my best.
Please note the lists above are as written on reverse by Dorothy and may not correspond to order of people shown, i.e. normally L to R.
When, where and why the photo was taken, no one of Dorothy’s family knows. I do think that over the years she would have had conversations with her relatives about subjects and memories by raised this photo.
Dorothy did speak about some of the people and time in the service, especially those she would have become good friends with. But, in one’s youth you would have listened but not remembered which we now regret. More importantly the family never thought to record any details.
On last thought about Dorothy’s hair style displayed in the picture. She retained that style most of the time for rest of her life. I just wonder if any of the girls or ladies in the photo retained their hair style in later life.
Photos; - Land Army Badge,
Dorothy Norman (Married surname = Robinson).
Class Assembly Photo.
Class Assembly Photo = reverse side with details.
Source;-
Conversations and memories of family.