British women farming during WWII. Women's Land Army (WLA) harvesting beetroot in 1942 or 1943. As much of the male working population had to go and fight in the First and Second World Wars, women had to replace men in many agricultural and industrial roles. The WLA was a civilian organisation that provided female agricultural workers for British farmers. At first the organisation relied on volunteers, but later when it exercised conscription it had around 80,000 members.