One woman told of her shock when a fighter plane suddenly crashed just yards away from where she was working. Another woman collided with a tram, while a third former Land Girl withstood horrendous
conditions to work on a farm.

Around 80,000 women joined the Land Army during World War Two.
They were sent to the countryside to produce food and carry out
conservation duties while most men were at war.

The government recently announced all Land Girls will be recognised with a badge this year following numerous campaigns from the Women's Land Army and Women's Timber Corps.

Lancaster-born Audrey Kirby joined the Land Army at the age of 16 and spent over three years serving her country. During her time as a Land Girl, she was based at South Walsham in Norfolk, the Menai Straits in Wales and Southport.

"When I first went into the the Land Army, I didn't know much about the countryside. The animals always seemed to be chasing us and the geese were particularly vicious."

After initially working on a farm, Mrs Kirby ended up driving a giant
excavator which had a large bucket and ran on tracks like a tank. She passed a test in Hull which enabled her to use the vehicle.

Mrs Kirby spoke of many adventures in the Land Army. She said: "I was working in South Walsham one day when this plane just fell out of the sky behind some trees. There was a loud bang. I was with a friend and we were very afraid.

"We looked up and saw a man coming down in a parachute. He
landed right near us and we decided to take him home. He was a young American who was actually flying a fighter plane. We tried to use his
parachute for making clothes but had to give it back."

When she was in Anglesey working with the excavator, she remembers her bucket hitting something which then started hissing.

"I was really frightened when a man said I might have hit a bomb so we ran for our lives." The bomb squad arrived and discovered it was not a bomb but an oxygen cylinder.
"I don't think I would be here today if it had been a bomb," Mrs Kirby said.
In 1943, she received a letter which claimed she had the best output in comparison to any other worker. The 84-year-old, who has kept a copy of the letter, said her father used to carry it around everywhere.

Joan Shaw, 82, of Over Kellet, worked on a farm and used to get up at 6am every morning to milk cows. She cut potato sets before planting them, stacked heavy sheafs of corn, turned haystacks to keep them dry and learned how to make butter.

Mrs Shaw, who was also awarded a Women's Land Army proficiency
certificate for milking and dairy work in 1944, said: "It was nice working in the fresh air, those days were very enjoyable. I learned some very useful skills. Being a sports girl, I liked working outside.

I've lived in the country all my life and working on farms has kept me fit and healthy."

Mrs Shaw also shared fond memories of her horse and added: "I took my horse Dolly with a wagon to Liverpool once a week to a bakery and loaded up with the stale bread.

"There was one occasion when I was going over Fazakerley bridge when I came head on with a tram. The shaft of the wagon got caught up with the tram and the driver had to back all the way down and apologised as I did have the right of way."

Ethel Christian, from Ingleton, worked in a large country house for six weeks before settling down in a poultry farm for two years.

She was the 18th Land Girl to work in the large house – which only had two residents – and described the
conditions as horrendous.
Ideal
The 86-year-old said: "The work was very heavy and it was not funny
holding a cow while it did its business. The conditions were so bad and the job wasn't ideal for any Land Girl. Apparently I was the only person who never swore.

"We also had to ring up to find the time because there was no clock. It was certainly an experience, it was not how I expected it to be."

Around 20,000 former Land Girls have come forward to request a medal for their services. Medals will not be available to descendants of deceased Land Girls but only to those who die after December 6, 2007.

n Application forms are available on the Defra website at www.defra.
gov.uk/farm/working/wla/. You can also write for an application form to Dermot McInerney, Defra, 5E Millbank c/o 17 Smith Square, London, SW1P 3JR or phone the Defra helpline on 08459 335577.