Honouring the Women's Timber Corps at the Royal Albert Hall VE Day 80 Party!

When the executive producer of the Royal Albert Hall VE Day 80 Party first contacted me, I could hardly believe it. They were looking for first hand accounts and letters written during wartime to be included in the show, celebrating the achievements of the veterans who had played their part during World War Two. She’d found my research, books and website on the Lumberjills and was intrigued.

I danced around the kitchen in true VE Day Party style. The chance to have the Women's Timber Corps represented at such a prestigious event felt like one of the greatest opportunities to honour their contribution—80 years on. 

Photo: Lumberjill Heather Rumsby daughter, Geri, and grandsons, Anthony and Matt.

The Search for Stories

I phoned and visited Lumberjills families, read letters and poured through archives to find examples of exactly what they wanted. Months later, the script was finally confirmed and the Lumberjills had been included. I was thrilled. 

I’d campaigned for more than a decade to raise awareness of the Women’s Timber Corps, as they’d received no recognition for their war work for more than 60 years after the war. The Lumberjills were known as the Forgotten Army. Here they were after 80 years being recognised equally alongside the men on this major historic date and at the Royal Albert Hall. 

Now at last I was able to share the news with families who I knew would be so delighted, messages flooded in from Lumberjill families and fans across the UK and worldwide:
“Thank you so much,”
“Mum would be thrilled!”
“What a terrific achievement,”
“This is so inspiring.”

For me, this moment symbolised far more than a celebration—it was a breakthrough. For years I had fought to carve out space for the Lumberjills in the public memory of World War Two. To see their stories woven into the fabric of a national event at the Royal Albert Hall, alongside celebrated veterans and iconic war figures like Winston Churchill, was a profound step towards restoring their rightful place in history. 

The inclusion of the Lumberjills at this event validated the years of work, the countless interviews, and the emotional weight carried by so many families. This wasn’t just recognition—it proved that forgotten women’s stories, when finally told, have the power to move, inspire and reshape how we understand our past and see our future.

Photo: Lumberjill Bella Nolan's daughter, Anne Meeks, and Barry Meeks.

Family Pride

On the day itself, I had to dress up so I wore sophisticated Lumberjill-style dungarees, attended with my family and was filled with anticipation as the grand domed roof of the Royal Albert Hall came into view. A solitary tree stood outside, a quiet, poignant reminder of the millions felled during the war.

Before the show, I looked forward to meeting many family members of the Lumberjills, some who had travelled from as far as the Scottish Highlands. Daughters, granddaughters, grandsons and great grandsons came together to honour the brave women who served. Thank you to the families of Bella Nolan (Anne and Barry Meeks), Heather Harries, (Geri Hunting, Matthew and Anthony) Audrey Broad (Jenny Ansell) and Molly Paterson ( Alison Tomlinson, Claire Ward and many more) for coming along and making this day so special. For many, this moment was such a surprise and they were so filled with pride—some 80 years after their mothers and grandmothers were initially overlooked for their wartime service. We shared stories, memories, laughter and our excitement before finding our seats through the crowded corridors. 

A Powerful Tribute Begins

As I entered the stalls, the vast auditorium opened out—tiers upon tiers surrounding the stage, red curtains dividing the balconies. A chatter and anticipation rose as over 5,000 people settled in, the hall felt alive with energy and pride. Union Jack flags waving.

Dan Walker, Katherine Jenkins OBE, and Myleene Klass MBE presented the evening, opened by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra and the RAF Squadronaires playing the rousing Dam Busters March. Then came the moment I had been waiting for—the recognition of the Lumberjills.

Photo: From the collection of Lumberjill Hazel Collins, with huge thanks to her daughter Mary Collins for providing this photo to appear on the big screen at the Royal Albert Hall.

The Lumberjills Take Centre Stage

A presenter began:

“The contribution of women to the wider war effort on the Home Front was diverse. Many took on roles traditionally held by men.

At first, women were discouraged from working in forestry, but the urgent need for timber led to their recruitment via the Women’s Land Army. Timber was essential for pit props, shipbuilding, aircraft construction and even floating harbours.

In April 1942, the Women’s Timber Corps was officially established. Between 15,000 and 18,000 young women signed up. Historian Joanna Foat has researched and captured their stories. These women were affectionately known as the ‘Lumberjills’.”

Photo: Lumberjill Bella Nolan

The D-Day Darlings took to the stage to read first-hand accounts. Bella Nolan recalled:

“Our foreman doubted whether girls could handle the tough work. I volunteered to work a crosscut saw with him. He kept asking if I needed to stop, but I pushed on. By the end of the day, we’d cut 120 trees. Months later, a new supervisor said, ‘I’ve read about you—your record’s in the office.’”

Photo: Lumberjill Heather Rumsby driving tractor

Heather Rumsby wrote to her parents:

“There’ve been a lot of injuries—sprained wrists, cut fingers. We had a First Aid lecture. You really should know what to do when you’re miles from anywhere. The men often chop themselves up—especially in the sawmills. Some of the tales we’ve heard… I won’t repeat them!”

The sassy D-Day Darlings performed these stories with humour and just the right emotion. They were brilliant! When the presenters announced that Bella Nolan and Heather Rumsby’s families were in the audience, they received a huge round of applause. 

Then, to my surprise, the RAF Squadronaires burst into a vibrant rendition of Woodchopper’s Ball, a Lumberjills favourite. A smile crossed my face as Swing Patrol the dance troupe joined the stage. I know how much the Lumberjills loved that song.

An Unforgettable Evening

The rest of the evening swept us through emotions and history with a famous speech by Sir Winston Churchill’s grandson, stories from other veterans and evacuees, the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, The D-Day Darlings, Zara McFarlane, Katherine Jenkins, Lance Ellington, and more. Songs like The Longest Day, The White Cliffs of Dover, Land of Hope and Glory and We’ll Meet Again stirred tears, pride, and a sense of unity.

The event was powerful, moving, captured the camaraderie of the wartime spirit and yet was intimate, despite its scale. Over 5,000 people attended, yet it felt like one large extended family. I was overwhelmed with gratitude to The Makers Of for producing something so engaging and heartfelt. It was magical to witness the Lumberjills honoured on such a prestigious stage.

Bella Nolan’s daughter, Anne said: “What a wonderful show and unforgettable evening. So amazing to see Mum's picture on the screen and hear her story. A proud and very emotional moment for us. We did need tissues handy. Well worth the long journey from Scotland. Thank you so much for making it possible.”

As we now look towards VJ Day 80, may we continue to remember the courageous women of the Women's Timber Corps. Let their legacy inspire us not to overlook the efforts of women, minority groups, or the sacrifices of the natural world. The Lumberjills, with the power of nature by their side, worked for freedom, peace, and the future of their nation.

Souvenir Brochure and Special Thanks

A page was also dedicated to the Lumberjills in the souvenir brochure, which I wrote. With huge thanks to all the Lumberjills families for helping to make the Royal Albert Hall VE Day 80 Party happen by providing photos, letter and stories. A special thanks goes to Lumberjill Heather Rumsby's daughter, Sue Joblin, Lumberjill Jean Robertson and her daughter Jeanette Ross, and Lumberjill Doris Youde's son Paul Youde for all their help.

Immerse youselves in the world of the Lumberjills

If you’d like to immerse yourselves in the world of the Lumberjills, join them here in the Forestry Training School in the Forest of Dean in the beginning of Joanna Foat’s first novel in a series The Lumberjills Stronger Together. The novel was inspired by the women she met in the Women’s Timber Corps and their true stories.

Chapter 1

Keeva

23rd January 1940, Parkend, Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire

‘Gather round, girls!’ The deep-throated bellow came from the pompous man in tweed, with his chest puffed out like a woodcock. Thank goodness the training session in the awful jodhpurs was over. Keeva caught her breath as the blood-red sky brightened with dawn over the frosty forest. Her muscles screamed, exhausted by the endless sit-ups, push-ups, chin-ups and sprints she’d endured that morning.

Hadn’t she signed up to do butter-making, digging, and carting manure in wheelbarrows in the Land Army, not this? Those were the only things she knew how to do. Oh, and taxidermy, of course. She mustn’t tell anyone about that. A girl’s education was a subject that well-behaved people didn’t talk about, like copulation and lavatories, Viola had said.

‘Toughen you up for a new life in the forest,’the man who called himself Captain Blunt said, sucking on his pipe.

Keeva didn’t need toughening up. She’d lived in the woods her whole life. She imagined Captain Blunt, with his plus fours and whistle round his neck, going off into the woods with guns and dogs every Saturday morning. Like the men on the private estate at home, he would probably drag a deer carcass back and a dozen dead pheasants just for fun. Her heart ached; she couldn’t think about home.

‘You’re not finished yet,’ he said. ‘There’s a three-mile race back to camp, via Church Hill, with punishments for last man, err ... girl back.’

Maybe Blunt was trying to finish them off, she thought. Other girls groaned, so she did the same. She’d always wanted to be more like other girls. Forestry camp was her chance to prove that she was just like one of them. But, how much more could she put herself through? Puffing so hard, she couldn’t think. She would get to know every long dark path in the forest in time. Now, they all looked the same. Which way was the church?

‘Stand by.’ Blunt pointed, whistle in hand.

Uncomfortable cotton chafed between her legs, and her breeches had untucked from her coarse woollen socks, which stuck to the weeping blisters on her heels. A wing clapped above, and a goshawk released its cry, kreey-a. Her father had said the alarm call was to protect the chicks in the nest before they fledged.

‘Go!’ shouted Blunt.

By Joanna Foat
Author of Lumberjills: Britain’s Forgotten Army, The Lumberjills: Stronger Together, and The Lumberjills Photobook.
Learn more: https://shop.thelumberjills.uk/