A hidden history hunt has been launched into a band of smiling young women pictured 80 years ago striding along a farm track, hoes in hand.
Another photo shows young women round a handsome shire horse, two astride its back.
Some facts are already known: they were members of the Women’s Land Army at Suttons Seeds, Earley. The seeds they helped produce went to farmers keeping Britain fed during the Second World War.
The tall young woman, pictured left in the photo with hoes, is Joan Rackley (then Enfield) who recently celebrated her 100th birthday, as reported in Wokingham.Today. Joan (pictured inset) taught for 16 years at Polehampton Infant School.
Her daughter, Patsy Smith, is appealing for help to find out about her mother’s WLA colleagues.
“The Museum of English Rural Life at Reading is excited about our mum’s photos – the only ones known of the WLA at Suttons. The WLA museum at Dover is also very interested,” she said.
“Our family and the museums would very much like to hear from anyone who can identify the other people and tell us about them.” Joan, second from left in the horse photo, enjoyed looking after shire horses Laddie and Jolly.
Patsy, retired assistant head of Furze Platt Junior School, is researching her mother’s autograph book signed by Norah South in 1944, E M Curd in 1942 and Joan Hunter on November 10, 1942.
An internet search shows a Joan Hunter married a Norwegian, Kare Rodahl. It’s said they met when he parachuted onto pasture close to where she was milking a cow.
In an article in The Land Girl magazine Joan Rodahl recalls bringing cows in for milking for six years in Wiltshire as part of the WLA. “Although this Joan worked in the WLA in Wiltshire I do wonder if she and my Mum met up somehow through WLA contacts and became friends, signing each others’ autograph books,” said Patsy.
In 1948 Joan Enfield married her husband Ted Rackley, a Post Office engineer from Caversham and they lived at Charvil. After her husband died she moved to Twyford and later to Cookham Dean.
To help Patsy trace the staff email: patsy_asmith@hotmail.com
