Agricultural History Review, Volume 52 Part 2 (2004), pp. 183–206

This article is concerned with the contribution of schoolchildren towards the food production drive in England during the Second World War. After a consideration of the broader aspects of the farm labour problem between 1940 and 1950, the focus is directed towards the various official and semi-official schemes by which children were involved in summer and autumn harvest work. Logistical, operational and financial issues are reviewed in some detail along with various aspects of gender and attitudes of interested parties towards the scheme. While harvest camps generally seem to have been a positive and enjoyable experience for school children, there remains a great deal of scope for oral history studies to elucidate the finer details. 

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