Under Fire: The Blitz Diaries of a Volunteer Ambulance Driver - Softcover

Clifford, Naomi

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1919623205 ISBN 13: 9781919623207

Publisher: Caret Press, 2021

Synopsis

"An eye-opening exploration and a riveting read."
"The story telling, full of fascinating social detail, is gently captivating."

The true story of June Spencer, debutante and volunteer ambulance driver in Chelsea during the Blitz, told through her remarkable diaries.
"We would say to each other ‘here it comes’ and would listen to the whining whizz which sounded like it was for us every time."
DANVERS STREET AMBULANCE STATION, 8 September 1940

LONDON IN THE SUMMER 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 vivid picture of a young woman navigating the perils of home front life.

About this title

About the Author

Naomi Clifford is an author and history writer, based in London. Pen & Sword has published three of her books: The Murder of Mary Ashford (2018), Women and the Gallows 1797 to 1837 (2017), and The Disappearance of Maria Glenn (2016). She is a co-editor of Vauxhall History, host of The Door History Podcast, Chair of Friends and Stockwell War Memorial and Gardens, and a representative on the Lambeth Local History Forum. Naomi has has given numerous and radio interviews. She has a strong presence on social media. Her principal platforms are Twitter (@naomiclifford) and Instagram feed (@naomi__clifford). Her website is naomiclifford.com.

Edition details

• Publisher: Caret Press
• Publication date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1919623205
• ISBN 13: 9781919623207
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 254