REMEMBERED

the time, 30,000 British women were needed for the Land Army to replace the soldiers who were unable to be released for the harvest.

Mrs Price, a member of the Pontypridd Board of Guardians encouraged parents to let their daughters join, saying “no one needs fear”.

Welsh women, in particular, were praised after 1,000 women joined the Land Army at a single event in Cardiff.

According to The Women’s Land Army, women who signed on for a year were given a free uniform worth around 30 shillings.

It consisted of breeches, a kneelength overall tunic, boots – which were replaced twice a year – a mackintosh, a jersey and a soft felt cloche hat.

A century ago, it was considered revolutionary for the women to be allowed to wear breeches, but it gave them the same freedom of movement as men when doing physical work.

Yet while they were allowed to stray from their usual clothes, there were strict rules.

The official Land Army Agricultural Handbook rather primly read: “You are doing a man’s work and so you’re dressed rather like a man, but remember just because you wear a smock and breeches you should take care to behave like a British girl who expects chivalry and respect from everyone she meets.”

Not only did women farmers help shape the future of Britain, it helped shape their own futures.

Women had found new found freedom and prosperity and proved that they could take on any role that a man had once done.

Swansea University’s World War One historian Dr Gerry Oram told the BBC that the government had little choice but to acknowledge this new reality.

In 1919, The Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act made it a criminal offence to exclude women from jobs because of their gender.

“There was little point in pretending anymore – women had proved they could take on any role a man had done, and they’d played an enormous part in winning the war,” said Dr Oram.