A LOCAL woman's two year battle to win recognition for the work of the Women's Land Army has ended in victory. After two years of parliamentary lobbying, 75-year-old Alice Sefton of Kearsley has been given the news that Women's Land Army workers are to be commemorated for their contribution to the war effort. Alice was a member of the World War II Women's Land Army in South Wales. She has lobbied Bolton South-east MP, Dr Brian Iddon, since his election in 1997, to call for official recognition of their work.

Elliott Morley MP, the Minister for Fisheries and the Countryside, has announced the Government's intention to "commemorate those who contributed to the war effort and commend their selflessness and self sacrifice to present and future generations".

Mr Morley said that the Prime Minister considers that the work of all these people "must be fully acknowledged and appreciated".

A national memorial, in the form of a plaque, will be sited in the Cathedral at Coventry, a city heavily bombed in the war, and a commemoration ceremony will take place in about a year.

Labourers

The work of "The Landgirls", recently portrayed on film, helped to provide the country with food during the war years.

The young women did the work of farm labourers, working hard in the fields until dark and driving tractors.

Mrs Sefton described the plan for a memorial as "a step towards recognition which we have never had".

She said: "People don't realise what went on. There were good times and bad times, but you just had to get into it. After the war ended there was no job and no money to come out with."

Alice found a job at Higham's paper bag works, and then at Chloride Batteries at Clifton Junction.

She is now retired but still works as a volunteer in the Hospice Shop in Farnworth.

Alice paid tribute to Cheshire woman, Jean Proctor, of the Land Army Association, who received an MBE in this year's New Years Honours List for her campaigning work.

However, surviving Land Girls remain disappointed that the Government's review of work done for the war effort found the idea of retrospective awards of the Defence Medal "simply not practical".

Dr Iddon said: "I am very pleased that the work that Alice Sefton and others have put in has now resulted in the work of the Women's Land Army being recognised nationally at last."

A motion proposed this week, by Lindsay Hoyle, MP for Chorley, acknowledges the women's work in the war effort.

His motion notes that the 'Bevin Boys' were able to march past the Cenotaph for the first time last year and calls for the same recognition of the Women's Land Army.

Dr Iddon is one of 30 MPs to have signed the motion.

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