VILLAGE LAND ARMY GIRL:

During the uncertain days of World War 2 when the British Isles were facing the threat of invasion and the majority of men were away from their homes, families and workplaces, fighting for freedom, it was some of the women left behind who found themselves doing the jobs which would keep the nation supplied with food.
The work of the Women's Land Army and Timber Corps and the character and courage of the Landgirls played an inestimable part in the country's war effort. Only recently has their effort been officially recognised.
One such lady, Stoke by Nayland resident, Mrs Ellen Cundy, was both delighted and very proud to receive her medal and certificate of service signed by the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, in recognition of the part she played as a Landgirl.

During 1947 and aged only 17 she volunteered, Ellen Kennedy as she was then, left her life in Bradford in Yorkshire where she had worked in a bakery and machine shop for what she described as her "adventure in Suffolk".

She arrived by train in Bury St Edmunds with four other newly-volunteered girls and was collected and taken to Plough Lane at Leavenheath, to the hostel which was to be her "home" whils`t a Landgirl.
She was issued with her uniform, a green jumper, brown jodhpur's, heavy shoes, long green socks and a brown hat - see left photo.

The hostel held 90 girls, billeted 4 to a cubicle with coke stoves for heating, issued with a strict set of regulations and found herself living in an environment totally different from that which she knew in Bradford.

The lady in charge of the hostel was also a resident of Stoke by Nayland, a Mrs Wilson who lived in Scotland Street.
Food was provided at the end of the working day by local ladies who came to the hostel to cook. There were inspections each evening to ensure all girls were "back at base" and looking after their quarters correctly.

Ellen was taken by truck each morning leaving around 0730 to work on farms at Bures and Leavenheath.
She learned to hoe crops and trim hedges, look after dairy cattle and was of course out in all weathers.
Saturday afternoon treats were to go to Colchester, Sudbury or even Bury St Edmunds since one of the things Ellen missed from home was the shops and the buzz of town life.
There were dances in the villages around Leavenheath and pubs for socialising, although trips to these always involved walking to and from the destination and there was also strict regulations of being "back at the hostel on time".
Ellen met her late husband Jack, a Leavenheath man, while living at the hostel. They were married at the Church of the Sacred Heart in Bradford.
With no beer at the local pubs the Hostel was quite frequently visited by the local population looking for refreshments.

Her sister eventually joined her on the Land Army in Suffolk a year later, but returned to Yorkshire at the end of the war.

Ellen returned to Bradford in 1947 to stay for a short while before returning to Leavenheath/Stoke.
"Nellie", as her friends in Stoke by Nayland know her, decided to continue with her 'adventure' and she has lived in Stoke by Nayland for 57 years, with very good reason to be proud of her war effort.