Joy Smith (30.10.1923) became a Lumber Jill in February 1943. Joy joined the Women’s Timber Corps and began her training at Culford Camp. She then worked in Wooton-u-Edge in Gloucestershire. Joy’s son-in-law Robin Daly has scanned in Joy’s wonderful selection of photos of her time as Lumber Jill. Not only this, but Robin has recorded an interview with Joy, where she talks about her collection of items as well as experiences in the forests of Britain and at her billet. Thank you to Joy and Robin for taking the time to share Joy’s experiences for readers of this website. I will let Joy’s photographs and Joy herself do the talking…
Joy Smith in her Women’s Timber Corps uniform.
Joining the Women’s Timber Corps and her family’s reaction
Training at Culford Camp and an interesting surprise in her shredded wheat…
And a souvenir from training…
Joy’s signed tree bark from her WTC training
Joy discussing her first placement
Joy Smith with items of her WTC uniform.
Joy talking about her WTC uniform
N.B Each diamond represented half a year’s service.
A selection of items from Joy’s time in the Women’s Timber Corps.
Hilda Webb from Aberdeen.
Women and men working in woods at Wootton-u-Edge.
Meeting fellow Lumber Jill Spenney
Spenney, Potter’s Bar, Easter, 1944.
Spenny and two other women.
Using the cross-cut saw. Spenny and another woman.
Spenny felling a tree.
Using the cross-cut saw. Spenny and another woman.
Working in the forests
Delivering pit props in Forest of Dean. Hilda Webb on lorry, Tom, & Joy.
A Lumber Jill felling a tree.
Women and men working in the forests.
Gloucester March Past
March Past in Gloucester. 3rd from left, Hilda and Joy behind.
“Yankee Tmber Corps Wedding”, at Wutton Church, July 1943.
At Joyce’s Billet
Views from Coombe Road, Women working in woods at Wootton-u-Edge, 1943.
View from front of bedroom window at Views from Coombe Road.
Joy’s mother, Hilda, Marjorie, and Joy outside “The Homestead”, 1943.
Joy’s father, Hilda, Marjorie, and Joy’s mother outside “The Homestead”, London, 1943.
Mrs Ashton, Mrs Cullimore, Mr Cullimore, and June outside “The Ark” at Wootton-u-Edge, 1943.
Hilda in the garden of “The Ark”.
Joy Smith in the garden of “The Ark”.
Hilda and June in the garden, at Wootton-u-Edge, 1943.
June, aged 3 in the garden in Wootton-u-Edge, 1943.
Haley’s Mill, Cirencester
Timber yard at Haley’s Mill, Cirencester.
Timber yard and part of sawmill at Haley’s Mill, Cirencester. Max in cap in front of lorry.
Timber yard at Cirencester
Another shot of the timber yard at Haley’s Mill, Cirencester.
![A group of Bedfordshire land girls who joined the crowds celebrating the VE Day radio announcement at 3pm in St Paul's Square, Bedford, 8 May 1945. 'Victory in Europe [VE] Day' marked the end of the Second World War in Europe. The Allies continued fighting in Japan in the Far East until VJ Day [Victory over Japan] on 15 August 1945. Source: Bedfordshire Times. Courtesy of Stuart](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.womenslandarmy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/VE-Day-St-Pauls-Square-520x245.jpg)
