Born Ursula Hansen January 27, 1926, she joined Australian Women's Land Army in 1942, providing labour on farms replacing men who joined the war effort.

Most young women were city-born with very little knowledge of life on farms, but that soon changed.

Ursula put her age up at 16 as entrance age was 18.

Her group first went to Young, picking cherries, then to Leeton, arriving at the railway station in December 1942, carrying their cases and bedding to Cannery dormitories.

It was too hot for some of the girls who caught the next train back to Sydney.

The girls worked on farms around Leeton doing whatever was required, shifts at Letona Cannery, weeding and picking onions at Merungle Hill.

They worked in pairs moving heavy irrigation pipes, while in the Italian POW camp, detainees did the same work with six men per pipe.

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Then to Wamoon, weeding around trees, picking fruit, and harvesting rice driving a team of 10 draught horses.

She was so short she fed the horses before work to slip the harness over their heads as they fed.

She left the Land Army in 1945 to marry, remaining in the area until her death in March this year.

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THE auxiliary meets on the first Friday of each month for lunch from 1pm at Leeton Soldiers Club.

A report will be presented to the Sub-branch at the next meeting on October 4 at 11am followed by lunch.

At this October Sub-branch meeting, RSL NSW acting state president Jesse James and chief executive officer Jon Black will provide a presentation on the new Strategic Plan.

This is the last chance for members to have input into this plan before final approval.

Regional Sub-branches are also being invited to attend.

The next coffee morning is at Stir this Saturday at 10am.

All welcome.