Tribunals were hearing tales of woe from farmers who had lost male workers to enlistment in the forces and also from those who refused to allow or did not think woman could do the vacant jobs. But one family were proving that a woman's place was on the land.

In its December 14th, 1916, edition, The Luton News said the manner in which two girls, members of an old Luton family, had rallied to the help of their father and the rescue of their farm in a time of stress was strikingly illustrated in accompanying photographs (see above).

The pictures were taken by the Luton News photographer on the land of Mr and Mrs George Peck at Bury Farm, Wheathampstead, and the young ladies are Miss Phyllis and Miss Doris Peck.

The family is well known in Luton and district and previously lived in the town when Mr Peck was a butcher in Wellington Street. Some years ago they took the farm, which is one of nearly 500 acres, mostly arable land, so that the amount of work upon it must be necessarily great.

Mr Peck has lost all his men one by one as they enlisted and he found himself in dire straits, his available men including an old age pensioner and also a cripple.

It was then that his two younger daughters volunteered for service on the farm and, although loath to let the girls do such rough work, parents George and Agnes had to agree to this course. They have never since regretted it, for there is not the slightest doubt that the girls have now mastered the work thoroughly and can do all that the average farm servant can do.

It must be clearly understood that they do not play at the life, but do all the roughest work. They are proficient ploughwomen, and each would refuse less than the full team on the most difficult ground.

They harness their horses, clean out the stables and do the harrowing. They have done the rick work in harvest and haytime like any man. They feed and tend the cattle,and they can also milk. In fact their labours have saved the farm.

In their corduroys, leggings, short belted tunics, heavy boots and caps they look fit for the heaviest work, but when in town for a brief respite it would be hard to find two smarter or more feminine girls than these.