Land girl Elsie gets her badge (From Echo)

Land girl Elsie gets her badge

2:00am Thursday 9th July 2009

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DELIGHTED Elsie Wood is celebrating after being given her own personal celebration to mark her service as a land girl during the Second World War.

Elsie Wood, 89, was too frail to join fellow veterans when they received commemorative badges at Canvey’s Armed Forces parade ten days ago.

But organisers were determined she would not miss out and Elsie was presented with her badge and certificate at a special ceremony in her Canvey home.

Speaking afterwards, Mrs Wood said: “I’m so proud. This has made my day and brought back so many happy memories.”

“It was a wonderful evening. I really didn’t expect it. I feel out of this world.”

Elsie worked as a Land Girl, together with her two sisters Rose and Dorothy, between 1939 and 1943 at Mizen Farm, in Effingham, Surrey.

At the farm she picked, prepared and packed salad and root crops for delivery to Covent Garden, London.

Despite the war and the hard work, Elsie said she had very fond memories of her time at the farm.

She said: “They were some of the happiest days of my life. We were young and away from home for the first time.”

“I remember the Canadian Airforce were stationed down the road and the pilots would dip their wings as they flew past us when we were out in the field.”

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