Blitz Diaries of a Volunteer Ambulance Driver

The true story of June Spencer, a debutante and volunteer ambulance driver in Chelsea during the Blitz, is told through her remarkable diaries. June Spencer was set to follow the time-worn path of a debutante, but when war came to London, she volunteered to drive an ambulance through the bomb-strewn streets of Chelsea. June's first-hand accounts paint a vivid picture of the contrasts of wartime life in London, ranging from driving through the streets under bombardment to the aftermath of the destruction of the Café de Paris, and from grand balls and parties in Lindsey House on the banks of the Thames to the complexities of emotional responses to the Blitz and service on the home front.

Naomi Clifford's compelling narrative spotlights June's friendships with notable figures, including the future novelist Mary Wesley, whom she befriended at Boskenna in Cornwall and encouraged to "write a book about her friends" – a request that was realized decades later when Wesley wrote The Camomile Lawn. June's acquaintances also included writers Patrick O'Brian and A.P. Herbert, artists Augustus John and Tom Dugdale, National Trust luminary James Lees-Milne, and actor Constance Cumming.

Through June's remarkable diaries, readers are given a unique glimpse into the experiences of a debutante-turned-ambulance driver during the Blitz. Clifford's narrative skillfully navigates the contrasts and complexities of wartime life, painting a vivid and compelling portrait of a remarkable woman whose story has been largely untold until now.

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