Oliver's Orchard Farm

Women workers were in the majority at Oliver's Orchard during the war but a couple of young men here were some unexpected guests as two German prisoners-of-war joined the force.

It was all hands to the deck in wartime Colchester to gather the fruit and box it up ready for dispatch. But apple farming was a year round job with 9 permanent staff working all year round pruning and spraying some 7,000 stand alone trees. By all accounts, it was a happy workforce and films of the harvest and other events were shown to entertain the staff at special parties

Farmer and cine enthusiast, Dennis Knowles was poised with his camera to bring smiles to their faces, whatever their nationality! It was all hands to the deck in wartime to gather the fruit and box it up ready for dispatch. But apple farming was a year round job with 9 permanent staff working all year round pruning and spraying some 7,000 stand alone trees. By all accounts, it was a happy workforce and films of the harvest and other events were shown to the staff at special parties.