An 87-year-old former Women’s Land Army girl has told how she was hailed a “heroine” during WWII after tackling a gunman along with three friends.
Beatrice Marshall (then known as Miss Beatrice Wyke) and her Land Army colleagues crept up behind a man who had been running riot with a gun in Shifnal and disarmed him, restraining him until police arrived to arrest him.
It is believed that the man was suffering from a mental health problem and went berserk.
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The girls became known for their bravery in the town and were showered with extra rations such as sweets and cigarettes by grateful townsfolk, who continued to give them frequent treats to express their thanks.
This is just one of the many wartime memories which Beatrice has passed on to her family and friends over the years. Last week she became one of the latest members of the Women’s Land Army to receive a badge and certificate of appreciation from Prime Minister Gordon Brown in recognition of her service in helping to feed the nation.
Beatrice, who now lives at Carsphairn, Scotland, spent last week with her daughter, Anne Plant, at Benthall, near Broseley, and talked to the Journal about her wartime experiences.
She joined the Land Army in 1940, originally staying in a Land Army hostel in Shifnal. She worked at Ben Ward’s Farm in Grindle, cycling there every morning and back at night.
The farm’s main crop was potatoes. Beatrice was the only Land Army girl there to start with, but got on well as she came from a farming background. It was a case of either going into the factories, or going into the Land Army. I was brought up on a farm near Church Stretton, so farm work was quite natural to me,” she said.
“I remember clearly how the food was rationed, and because we were young and working hard, we often felt hungry. In the hostel where I was living we were allowed a loaf of bread a day, so I used to make a ‘bread sandwich’ to eat- it was a piece of fried bread, sandwiched between two more pieces of bread.
“I used to enjoy it – but it’s something I have never eaten since,” said Beatrice.
“I remember having to hitch a ride in a coal wagon to get to the dentist… you had to cycle or hitchhike everywhere. I also recall that I was in charge of the ‘bag room’ which was where we stored the sacks in which to keep the potatoes. It was my job to mend the holes in these bags.
“My boss was head of the Home Guard locally, and one Monday when I came into work he said ‘you won’t be pleased when you see the bag room’ He had been training some new members of the Home Guard over the weekend and they had had to sleep in the bag room. They had taken all of the bags off the shelves and strewn them on the floor to sleep on!”
Beatrice was later joined by another Land Army Girl, Sylvia Dodman. “It was a big farm, with 14 men there. My boss had 12 horses on the farm. He did have a tractor, but seldom used it. It was horses for everything.”
Beatrice later had digs in Beckbury. After seeking out a smaller farm where she felt her contribution would count for more, she moved to a holding at Weston Heath.
She served in the Land Army for four and a half years, and was at the head of a parade in Shrewsbury at which she was presented with an armlet by the Princess Royal for her years of service.
Beatrice said she was happy to receive her badge and certificate from Gordon Brown. “It all happened a long time ago – but it is nice to get some recognition,” she added”
