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Britain's WWII Lumberjills

Dan Snow's History Hit

16-05-2023 • 24 mins

The Second World War placed a tremendous strain on Britain's natural resources. One of the most important materials for fuelling the war effort was wood - used to make everything from ammunition boxes to Spitfires, Britain's timber would be harvested at an unprecedented rate during the war. It was a forgotten army of women who stepped up to make this happen, felling trees through freezing winters, splitting logs in hazardous sawmills and managing entire forestry operations.


So what did this job entail? How risky was it, and how were these 'Lumberjills' considered by society at that time? Dan is joined by Joanna Foat, author of Lumberjills: Britain's Forgotten Army, to uncover the obscured world of the Women's Timber Corps.


Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.


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If you want to get in touch with the podcast, you can email us at ds.hh@historyhit.com, we'd love to hear from you!

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