Charles hails Land Girls memorial

Oct 9 2012

The Prince of Wales has paid tribute to the "truly remarkable" work of the Women's Land Army (WLA) as he unveiled the UK's first dedicated memorial.

Charles met surviving "Land Girls" on the Fochabers estate in Moray as a ceremony was held commemorating their contribution to the war effort.

The women helped to feed the nation by working on the country's farms during the Second World War.

The creation of the memorial was steered by former National Farmers Union Scotland president Jim McLaren, whose mother Katherine was a Land Girl.

He recognised there was no permanent tribute to the WLA in the UK, though one is now also being planned for the National Arboretum in Staffordshire.

Charles, who is known as the Duke of Rothesay in Scotland, said at the unveiling: "It gives me enormous pride to be able to join you on this exposed hilltop to pay a small tribute of my own to all the remarkable Land Girls who did so much during the years when the country was under threat."

Their contribution was "truly remarkable", said Charles, who wore traditional Highland dress.

"There are still several hundred Land Girls left, the only problem is that it's taken nearly 70 years or something in order to ensure there was a memorial," he added.

The Prince said an "enormous debt of gratitude" was owed to Mr McLaren.