Hilda Kaye Gibson (1925 – 30 December 2013) was a member of the

Women's Land Army The Women's Land Army (WLA) was a British civilian organisation created in 1917 by the Board of Agriculture during the First World War to bring women into work in agriculture, replacing men called up to the military. Women who worked for the ...

, colloquially known as the

Land Girls Land Girls or variants may refer to: *Women's Land Army (World War II) *Women's Land Army (World War I) *''The Land Girls ''The Land Girls'' is a 1998 film directed by David Leland and starring Catherine McCormack, Rachel Weisz, Anna Friel, Ste ...

, during the Second World War, and campaigned to gain official governmental recognition for the service of WLA members. Gibson worked as a member of the WLA from 1944 to 1946, initially stationed at Lincolnshire to control pests then was stationed at a poultry farm in Norfolk to feed poultry and clean their quarters. She married Kenneth Gibson in 1948 and had three children: Stella, Laurence and Edward. In later life, Gibson was a poet, and was interviewed a number of times on BBC Radio 4 about her experiences as a Land Girl. Gibson received the badge of recognition in 2008 during a Prime Ministerial reception at

Downing Street Downing Street is a street in Westminster in London that houses the official residences and offices of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Situated off Whitehall, it is long, and a few minutes' walk ...

. On receipt of her medal, Gibson stated that "To serve one’s country in its greatest hour of need, in whatever capacity, for me remains memorable. To receive an award honouring the wartime work of the Women’s Land Army is a powerful and touching recognition."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gibson, Hilda 1925 births 2013 deaths Women's Land Army members (World War II) British poets British women poets