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Womens' Timber Corps (UK)

Life magazine.

"Life" magazine 'photo of Cicily Clark, a member of Britain's wartime Womens' Timber Corps. Less famous than their sisters of the Womens' Land Army, the ladies of the Womens' Timber Corps (some 5,000 at peak membership) replaced the men on vital forest duties. Their main tasks were to fell trees and to cut and shape them suitably for use as such necessary items as telephone/telegraph polls and pit props for the coal mines. Many attained high levels of skill, not only in the tree felling and trimming end, but in sawmill operation and management as well. All wasted after the war, when the women were sent home with little official recognition. This was belatedly righted in 2007, when former "timberjills" were issued an official commemorative badge. Best regards, JR.