In the summmer of 1940, June Spencer volunteers for the London Auxiliary Ambulance Service in Chelsea.
Every night she writes up the day’s events in her diary, whether it’s driving in a hail of incendiaries, peeling potatoes for the crews, or loading broken and bleeding victims into her ambulance.
She also records her hectic social life – dining at the Ritz, dancing at the Café de Paris and partying with the artists, writers and aristos in her set. But below the surface is turmoil and heartache: dear friends killed in action, relationships cracking under pressure and a growing dissatisfaction with her role in London.
Using June’s vivid first-hand accounts of life in the thick of the Blitz, Naomi Clifford paints a picture of a young woman navigating the perils of home front life.
Under Fire: The Blitz Diaries of a Volunteer Ambulance Driver by Naomi Clifford is published on 18 August, 2021.
