The Women's Land Army was first formed in 1917, using female recruits from all walks of life to replace male agricultural workers who had been conscripted to fight in the First World War, thereby ensuring Britain did not run out of food. It was disbanded at the end of the war, but then re-formed in 1939 to fulfil the same role, this time staying in existence till 1950. At its peak, 200 000 women served in the Land Army.
The Land Girl began as an unofficial publication in April 1940, but quickly proved to be extremely popular, selling around 21 000 copies a week. This was noticed by the Ministry of Food, which by this time was aware of the isolation felt by many women from urban backgrounds working in remote rural locations, and had become concerned that poor moral could present a threat to food supplies. This led to (amongst other steps) The Land Girl being adopted as an official publication, and distributed to members of the Land Army all over Britain.
