A Tribute by her Daughter Sue Joblin

As part of our special tributes to the Lumberjills in the lead-up to Remembrance Sunday, we conclude our series with Sue Joblin’s memories about her mother, Heather Rumsby, who served as a Lumberjill during World War II.

Can you introduce yourself and how you’re related to a Lumberjill?

I am Susan Joblin eldest of Heather Rumsby's three children. I don't remember a specific time when we knew Mum had been a Lumberjil, but she always talked about it when we were growing up.  She loved to reminisce,  but it wasn't until after she died in 2007, when we found the letters she had written to her family, that we fully appreciated what she had done.  

Can you tell me a bit about who Heather was before becoming a Lumberjill?,

She trained as a dancer in Bournemouth, where she grew up, having left school at 15 and was touring in shows up until 1940.  During that summer, she joined the Land Army and worked as a land girl at Fyfield House near Andover and then Braemer House, Fordingbridge, until 1942.

I think the reason she became a lumberjill was that life as a land girl was quite lonely. She was working at the country houses but didn't feel she was making a worthwhile contribution and wanted to do something more challenging.

What was Heather like when you were growing up? Do you have a favourite story that you can share?,

Growing up, we were always very close to Mum. She loved the outdoors and encouraged us to go for long walks. She was a very practical and down-to-earth person with a can-do attitude. One memory we have was when a very large branch fell into our garden from an overhanging evergreen oak tree, and we saw Mum at one end of the two-man saw helping Dad saw the branch into smaller logs.

What challenges did Heather face as a Lumberjill, and how did they affect her?

As a measurer, I think the challenge for her was to make sure she had measured the lengths and diameters of timber correctly. She was very aware that the men felling the trees were paid piecemeal, and she felt a responsibility for always being accurate with her calculations.

Is there a place that reminds you of her? 

I always think of her when I visit Painshill Park in Cobham, which is near where I live, as this is one of the estates where she spent time as a lumberjill. After the gardens were restored in the 1980's I took her there, but she didn't recognise anything specifically!

Why do you think it's important that the Lumberjills are remembered?

The lumberjills were pioneers in getting women recognised for doing strenuous manual work previously only done by men.

What do you most want future generations to know or remember about Heather?

Mum had an outgoing energy and was very open and non-judgemental.  She liked being part of a team, and all the photos we have show how cheerful the lumberjills looked together. After the war, she went back to dancing as a teacher, which she loved, and perhaps the experience of being a measurer with the lumberjills helped give her the same degree of confidence needed to become a teacher. 

In addition, later in life, she was chairman of a local flower arranging society for many years and, latterly, church warden after she and my father retired to a village in the Cotswolds. She always gave her all when she took on these roles and was not afraid of speaking in front of others.