Ethel was born on 28th June 1915 and enrolled in the Women's Land Army in Barnsley, West Yorks in April 1942. She was working as a window dresser at the time. Two months later she was posted to the Sudbury area in West Suffolk and soon became very proficient at milking Red Poll cattle by hand. She did the milking twice a day and helped to deliver the milk. In December 1943 Ethel was awarded a Proficiency Badge and Certificate in Milking and Dairy Work.
She worked on farms in Acton and Sudbury and was a very capable worker. Ethel spent three nights a week driving a fire engine as a fire watcher and took up smoking to relieve the boredom. When she later sat her driving test and was asked what kind of vehicle she was used to driving, the examiner said that there was no need to test her driving skills as she was clearly a competent driver.
Ethel lived in lodgings as a Land Girl and later married Frederick A Carter, the cowman on the farm in Acton in October 1946 after resigning from the W.L.A in January 1946. She subsequently gave birth to triplets, Penelope, Judith and Stephen in May 1947 and they all lived in Marsh Cottage (pictured above in 1951). A trained tailoress, Ethel made all her clothes and the children's clothes.
She was also very artistic and designed the front cover above for the VE issue of the Land Girl in June 1946. Ethel loved painting wild flowers and was particularly fond of painting poppies throughout the rest of her life. She was affectionately known as The Poppy Lady.
Ethel loved her time in the Women's Land Army in West Suffolk and was clearly a credit to the organisation.
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