Timber Corps ladies with Forestry Workers at St Catherines, Strachur circa 1945
Fiona Campbell has provided an image of the forestry team in which her mother, Margaret MacFadyen, worked during her time as a member of the Timber Corps in World War II. She is standing on the back row extreme right. Her colleague Gerty Mann is also standing but third from the right. Margaret and Gerty married two local Campbell brothers after the war.
It appears that the Timber Corps ladies who were billeted in Letters Lodge, Strachur, worked with a number of local forestry workers to help fell, sned and haul timber form the local forests to supply a sawmill at St Catherines that was producing much needed pit props for the coal mines. The gentleman with the hat and tie, Jock MacDonald, may well be the site forester or mill foreman and a member of the Home Grown Timber Production Department. Some of the group have been named and from first left of back standing group:
Ellis Gillies
Nancy MacFadyen
Ann Rae
Not named?
Not named?
Not named?
Gerty Mann
Anne McEwan
Margaret MacFadyen
Front kneeling row from first left:
Iain Montgomery
Archd Crawford
Alex Cummins
Catherine Anderson
Jock MacDonald
Not named?
Mr Leitch
Can any of the other people be named? The Timber Corps ladies would have had a member in charge of the team as well as an orderly managing the accommodation requirements and also working in the sawmill office. Perhaps the ladies dressed in sweaters may point to these roles. No hand saws are shown but the main tools displayed are axes which appear to be the large 6lb scotch wedge axe design.
Any more details would be very welcome and larger image can be viewed via the link below this text.
Download Large Version (698kB)
Groups: Forestry Areas, Groups of people, Women's Timber Corps - Timber Jills