Last updated 19:29, Thursday, 31 January 2008

They took on men’s jobs when most men were away fighting; they worked tirelessly with strength, pride and patriotism on the home front. Make no mistake, they were heroines, daunted by no unfamiliar skill, never fazed by heavy work. Without their efforts wartime Britain would have been a poorer, more demoralised place.

Finally their invaluable contributions have been deemed worthy of commemoration with a badge of honour. It comes late and it isn’t much. It will be awarded only to surviving members of the Women’s Land Army and the Women’s Timber Corps. But this badge is, in its own way, something of a breakthrough; a landmark turning point in the history of a country which by virtue of nothing more than tradition has grown used to under-valuing the contributions of women.

Even now Cumbria benefits extraordinarily from exceptionally strong, determined women working in agriculture, community and public service, commerce, industry, home and family management, health, education and enterprise. Perhaps it is still true that too many of their achievements go unrecognised – because traditional dictates it has always been that way.

But as the Land Girls have shown, not everything needs to remain rooted in outdated inappropriate habit. There are many ways to celebrate the strengths and endeavours of northern women – the first being a move by females towards greater self-worth and refusal to wait more than 60 years for a mark of appreciation.

The Land Girls’ Badges won’t be awarded posthumously and many surviving veterans will think that a shame.

The Women’s Land Army had 80,000 members at its peak in 1943 and existed until 1950. Another 6,000 served in the Women’s Timber Corps. Every one of them deserves our admiration and gratitude.