Our very own VE Day Veteran

Published 5th May 2025

L.A.A. had a special visitor this week; a former member of the Women's Land Army, or 'Land Girls' as they were known. Annie Elizabeth Duplock, was stationed near L.A.A. in Kirby Muxloe in 1940. For four years, she worked on Newbridge Farm, doing her bit for the war effort along with 80,000 other women around the country.   

Annie is the mum of Kennel Assistant Sandra McGluckin who has worked at L.A.A. since 2009. Annie is pictured below with the family dog, Reggie, who was adopted from L.A.A. in June 2014. We think that makes them both veterans!  

Annie kindly popped in to show us her uniform and tell us a little about her experiences. Annie says:

"I was 17 when I joined the Land Army. I knew about gardening from helping my dad and from being on my brother's farm, so I knew I liked the outdoor life. I also liked the uniform so I joined up. I had to go to a recruiting office on Regent Street in Leicester. The office was in someone's front room! After a week with two other girls setting potatoes on a potato farm, I was stationed in Kirby Muxloe, helping an old farmer and his wife."

"I had to get up at 5 a.m. and my duties involved feeding and looking after the cows, chickens and pigs. I had to put the milk through the cooler and clean the cow shed. I also ploughed the fields with a tractor and, when it was time, I helped get the corn in. During the war, the clocks were altered to give farmers more daylight hours and sometimes I worked until 10 pm."

"I was paid 10 shillings per week, which is 50p in today's money! We listened to the news on the radio (or wireless as we called it then)." 

In recent years, Annie, now aged 101, has been pleased to be a poster girl for VE Day Veterans organisation Standing With Giants. She also received a certificate and badge from MP Gordon Brown. The uniform that Annie is pictured in (below) is the same as the one she wore in the 1940s although there were other versions for different occasions.

On the subject of celebrating VE Day, Annie says:   

"We celebrated the end of the war but lots of people didn't bother, they were still waiting to hear about young lads who were missing. My brother was in a Prisoner of War Camp and he was treated badly. So there are mixed emotions."  

Annie is pictured below with ex-L.A.A. dog Reggie.

More information about the Land Girls is available here.