DEBS AT WAR (PB)

Pre-war debutantes - the young, unmarried daughters of the upper classes - comprised the most protected, even isolated, stratum of British society. War led to independence and daily exposure to customs and attitudes that must have seemed completely alien. Yet for many, the almost military regime of their childhood meant they were well suited for the no-nonsense approach needed in wartime - as chauffeurs, couriers, ambulance-drivers, nurses, pilots, spies, decoders, factory workers, farmers, land girls, as well as in the Women's Services. How much did class barriers really come down?