Millie's hard work in the fields helped to feed a wartime nation

A UTTOXETER woman has been honoured for her service as a Land Army Girl during the Second World War.

Millicent Bebbington, aged 86, has received a commemorative medal for her time spent working on farms in Staffordshire during the conflict.

It was presented to her on Monday by Uttoxeter Mayor Dick Jones at St Mary's Mount residential care home on Holly Road, where she now lives.

Millicent, who is known as Millie, was born on December 27, 1922 in Bucknall, Stoke-on-Trent, her maiden name was Berrisford.

As a teenager she started work in Bucknall and her duties were to ride horses all the way from Bucknall to Uttoxeter, for them to be re-shoed at a blacksmiths behind the former Wellington Inn.

Her granddaughter, Emma Woodall, said: "This was a job that she was very excited about and enjoyed thoroughly, often talking about her employers' own horse, named Hunter, which they allowed her to ride.

"It was this role that brought her into contact with farms in this area and when World War Two started, even though she was only 17, she joined the Women's Land Army.

"She was posted at a farm in Field, but seemed to move around neighbouring farms where needed."

The Women's Land Army (WLA) – known as the Land Girls – was formed at the outbreak of war to work on the land, freeing the male workers to go to fight.

By 1943 there were some 80,000 young women working in every aspect of agriculture to feed the nation.

With their uniform of green ties and jumpers and brown felt slouch hats, they worked from dawn to dusk each day, milking cows, digging ditches, sowing seeds and harvesting crops.

Millie said: "The work was hard, dirty and dangerous, especially for those working with unfamiliar machines and animals.

"But there was a great attitude, no fear of hard work. Situations did get you down a bit sometimes, but we all picked each other up. Well, we did what we could."

One way that they would have fun while training was to have area competitions.

Millie entered and won a competition for muck spreading by hand.

It was during Millie's time in service that she met her future husband, Ted Bebbington, through his brother Roland Bebbington of Burnaston Mill, Loxley.

He introduced her to Ted who was working at the nearby Caverswall farm run by the Gallimore family

In 1945, at the end of the war, they were married. Living at Gratwich first before moving to Bramshall. They had five children Ian, Roland, Michael, Pat and Sue.

Millie has always been very active and was a keen swimmer, having won many awards and also raised funds for a number of worthy causes.

Her granddaughter Emma added: "She only stopped a couple of years ago, and would carry on now if health permitted.

"She has always had a good attitude to life and has remained positive through many difficult trials in her life.

"She has a strong but gentle character, never boastful. We are all so very proud of her."

Millie now lives at St Mary's Mount where she is regularly visited by her family and especially enjoys visits from her great grandchildren.

She loves to listen to Jive music and even now at the age of 86, can easily kick her leg up.