RESEARCHERS working on a special commemorative edition of the BBC Countryfile programme are trying to contact as many 'Lumberjills' as possible.

The Lumberjills were women who worked with the Women's Timber Corps in the Forest of Dean and other forests in England and Wales during the Second World War.

To celebrate 70 years since the founding of the Corps, the BBC and the Forestry Commission are working together to locate as many women who worked in forestry in wartime Britain.

Archive records show that the Forest was one of their first places that the Lumberjills worked, with the first draft of them being posted to the Commission in January 1940, and who attended a three to four week training course at Parkend.

More widespread recruitment of women into forestry began in 1942 when the Women's Timber Corps was officially set up as a division of the Women's Land Army. Dressed in a distinctive uniform and from all walks of life and regions, they were needed to supply timber for the war time economy – especially in creating pit props for coal mines.

Over 8,000 young women responded to the call and were posted to forests all over the UK to continue the work of felling and converting standing timber into useable wood, with all the attendant haulage and sawmill work that it entailed.

Chair of Forestry Commission England, Pam Warhurst, said: "The great efforts of our Lumberjills must be one of the last unrecognised stories of the Second World War. Timber was absolutely essential to the war effort and yet so little is known about the women who kept the nation's forestry working. I am extremely grateful to projects like this which are striving to gather information before it slips from our collective memory."

The project instigators are hoping that Lumberjills and their families will come forward with stories of their experiences, and possibly photographs or film of the Women's Timber Corps in action during the war.

Anyone who can help the researchers prepare the special broadcast is asked to contact Jo Spouncer at the Forestry Commission on 07828 762045 or e mail jo. [email protected]">[email protected]. uk