Women's Timber Corps facts for kids
A member of the Women's Timber Corps stripping bark from a felled tree to be used as a telegraph pole.
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| Abbreviation | WTC |
|---|---|
| Established | 1942 |
| Dissolved | 1946 |
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Region served
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United Kingdom |
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Staff (1943)
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6,000 – 13,000 |
The Women's Timber Corps (WTC) was a special group of British women who worked in forestry during World War Two. They were formed to take over jobs from men who had gone to fight in the war. These brave women were often called Lumber Jills. They helped make sure Britain had enough wood for the war effort.
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How the Lumber Jills Started
The Women's Timber Corps began in 1942. But the idea of women helping with timber goes back to World War One, when a group called the Women's Timber Service was formed.
During World War Two, Britain needed a lot of wood. This wood was used for many things, like building, making tools, and even for coal mines. There weren't enough workers because many men had joined the army.
So, in 1940, the Forestry Commission started asking women to work in forests and sawmills. By 1942, a new official group, the Women's Timber Corps, was created. About 1,200 women who were already working in forestry joined this new corps.
Life as a Lumber Jill
The Women's Timber Corps was closely linked to the Women's Land Army (WLA). The WLA helped with finding new members and managing the WTC. Even though they were connected, the WTC kept its own special identity.
The uniforms were very similar to the WLA, but the Lumber Jills wore a green beret instead of a felt hat. They also had a special WTC badge.
A full uniform kit included:
- 2 green sweaters
- 2 pairs of riding pants
- 2 overall coats
- 2 pairs of dungarees (like overalls)
- 6 pairs of warm wool socks
- 3 beige shirts
- 1 pair of boots
- 1 pair of brown shoes
- 1 pair of gumboots (rubber boots)
- 1 green beret
- 1 warm overcoat
- 1 oilskin or mackintosh (raincoat)
- 2 towels
- A green arm band and a metal badge
- A bakelite hat badge
However, many women found it more comfortable to wear their own clothes or just parts of the uniform while working.
The corps was split into nine areas across the United Kingdom. These areas looked after the women and their work. Women lived in different places, from special camps to small hotels or private homes.
At its busiest in 1943, there were between 6,000 and 13,000 Lumber Jills. They moved around a lot, going wherever their skills were needed. Finding places to stay was often hard, as some people didn't want to host women who worked in forestry. One woman remembered staying in over 80 different homes in just two years!
What Lumber Jills Did
The work of the Women's Timber Corps was very tough and physical. They did all kinds of jobs in the forest, such as:
- Felling (cutting down trees)
- Snedding (removing branches from felled trees)
- Loading logs onto trucks
- Crosscutting (cutting logs into smaller pieces)
- Driving tractors and trucks
- Working with horses to move logs
- Operating machines in sawmills
A special skill was measuring. This involved figuring out how much wood was in a tree, measuring felled timber, and choosing which trees to cut down.
New Lumber Jills had four to six weeks of training at places like Culford or Hereford. Even though the work was hard, farmers and foresters soon realized that the women were just as good as the men they replaced.
Lumber Jills were paid based on how much work they did, not a set wage. This meant they often earned more than women in other war jobs.
After the War: Recognition for the Lumber Jills
The Women's Timber Corps ended in 1946. Each member received a special letter from Queen Elizabeth.
For many years, the WTC and WLA were not officially recognized for their important work. But in 2000, former members of the WTC were finally allowed to march in the annual Remembrance Sunday parade in London.
In 2007, the government announced that all surviving Lumber Jills could wear a new badge to honor their service. In 2012, the Forestry Commission celebrated the 70th anniversary of the WTC. The BBC also showed a special tribute to the Lumber Jills on Remembrance Day that year.
Memorials to the Lumber Jills
On October 10, 2007, a life-size bronze statue was unveiled in Scotland to remember the women of the WTC. This statue is in the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park near Aberfoyle.
In October 2014, another memorial statue was revealed at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire. This statue honors both the Women's Land Army and the Women's Timber Corps. It helps everyone remember the amazing work these women did during the war.
