The bombing of London during the height of the Second World War is source of endless material for historic fiction. The London Girls from Soraya M Lane is one such story based around the dangerous life of the dispatch riders, who as the war dragged endlessly onward were all women volunteering from the Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS; popularly and officially known as the Wrens).
It is 1940 and the British government has made the decision to replace the male dispatch riders with women which was not received well in the very definitely male driven corridors of power, but as the decision had been made women were being recruited to take on the dangerous, highly secretive work of carrying information across the length and breadth of London and further afield.
Ava, headstrong and somewhat spoilt is WREN working for a dashing General as his secretary when her attention is drawn to the poster advertising for recruits. Knowing nothing about motorcycles, she decides, as she is in ‘love’ with the General that it will give her a perfect opportunity to see the General after hours. She applies and is accepted to the course.
Olivia, also a WREN and experience motorcycle rider, working in the same Ministry is more than keen to apply and does so knowing full well she is more than capable of doing the work required. Florence also a WREN is hesitant to apply but when she meets Olivia on her way out of the Admiral’s office, she tentatively wonders if it is something she can do.
The three women decide to meet at the local Pub to talk through the exciting situation of ‘motorcycles’ and decide to enroll and see what happens. When the three women find themselves fronting up to Commander MacIntosh, call me Commander Mac, facing the first of the stringent tests, namely riding a motorcycle, they are entering a new, dangerous life which will test all three to the very limits of their emotions and lives.
Ava and Livi make the course for dispatch riders while Flo, is seconded to the Ambulance division for her excellent driving skills with a motor vehicle. Flo has deep secret and is suffering for the tragic loss of her family in one of the earlier London bombings and is not at all sure she will be able to do this job at all, let alone well.
Beautifully written The London Girls portrays well the fear, bravery, horror, enduring love and friendship that was created during these terrible years, as well as paying tribute to the many dispatch riders who undertook terrifying, dangerous work, many giving their lives to aid the war effort.
While there are some small historic inaccuracies in the storyline, Soraya Lane points these out in her Authors Notes, as well detailing a little of the history of the dangerous day of the devastating German bombing, which is the day Ava has her accident and where the story begins.
