Kathrine Frich
It is not the first time he has converted a car into an ambulance and driven it to a place in crisis.
It is not the first time he has converted a car into an ambulance and driven it to a place in crisis.
Driving hope to the front lines
Peter White, a 70-year-old aid volunteer from Worcestershire, has been hailed as a hero for buying, converting, and driving three ambulances from the UK to Ukraine, each packed with vital medical supplies.
The retired journalist and devout Catholic says he felt compelled to act after witnessing the suffering caused by Vladimir Putin’s invasion.
“They’re absolutely incredible,” he said of the Ukrainian people. “You feel you can’t turn your back on them.”
A lifetime of service and compassion
Peter is no stranger to danger or humanitarian work. In 1990, he famously drove his own ambulance to Kuwait to assist victims of the First Gulf War.
Over his long career, he has reported from conflict zones across the Middle East and worked with UNICEF in Moscow after the fall of the Berlin Wall, bringing medical supplies and even a Santa Claus to a children’s hospital.
Now, in his seventies, he says, “If I can do anything to improve other people’s lives, I’ll do that.”
The first ambulance destroyed by war
His first converted vehicle, a blue VW Caravelle, was tragically destroyed by a Russian missile after reaching Ukraine. Undeterred, Peter pressed on.
He had filled it with bandages, surgical tools, food, and X-ray parts, anything surgeons and volunteers on the ground requested.
The vehicle never completed its mission, but its loss only strengthened Peter’s resolve to continue helping the country’s wounded.
Helping disabled orphans in Dnipro
The second ambulance, a Nissan Elgrand, was delivered to a home for children with cerebral palsy in the city of Dnipro.
There, the converted van is used to transport the young residents for medical care and recreational outings.
“They’re using it for sort of travel adventures and outings,” Peter explained proudly. For him, it is proof that individual action can make a direct and lasting impact on people’s lives.
A mission of faith and courage
Before each journey, Peter’s ambulances are blessed by Monsignor Canon John Moran, a ritual he finds both grounding and hopeful.
“I go there as a pacifist or ‘peace monger’,” he said, “but even I sometimes feel that violent responses are necessary to hold back the wave of evil that is facing them.”
He describes the Ukrainian men as “gallant, determined and courageous,” and the women and children as “beautiful souls.”
Witnessing war’s toll up close
On his latest mission to southern Ukraine, Peter visited Kiev during one of the largest bombardments of the war. “It was horrendous,” he recalled.
“There’s natural fatigue on the part of the Ukrainians. They don’t see an end to it. There’s evidence all around you of the war, the absence of men, the presence of many amputees, the degradation of the infrastructure.”
His accounts capture the exhaustion and quiet heroism of a nation under siege.
A new ambulance and a Christmas mission
Peter is now preparing his fourth vehicle, another Land Rover, for a pre-Christmas delivery.
He plans to fill it with medical supplies and hopes to bring a Santa Claus to deliver joy to children caught in the war.
“I’ve been advised not to do it,” he admitted, “but you get a lot of discouragement along the way. It’s best not to yield to it.”
Despite his age and the risks, he remains determined to continue helping.
The man behind the mission
Humanitarianism runs deep in Peter’s family.
His father, Dennis White, was a Fleet Air Arm Navy pilot; his grandfather, Colonel Stuart McBride, escorted the first Christmas tree from Norway to Trafalgar Square in 1947.
His brother served as an adviser to Margaret Thatcher. For Peter, service and compassion are family traditions.
His own life, from journalism to global relief work, has been guided by the same ethos of doing good without expectation.
Inspired by Ukraine’s resilience
Peter says the courage of Ukrainians inspires him every day.
“They don’t understand why Russia should have turned against them so viciously,” he said.
“The war has dragged on for three years with no visible end. You’re forever hearing of casualties.”
Despite their pain, he admires their spirit of defiance and democratic openness:
“They have a very healthy, natural scepticism about any politician! But that’s a sign of a good democracy.”
Recognised and supported by Ukraine Relief
Karol Swiacki, founder of the Bournemouth-based charity Ukraine Relief, praised Peter as “a special man with a true passion for helping others.”
The charity has helped him with logistics, fuel, and supplies for his missions. “We are so lucky to have such amazing people supporting our charity,” Swiacki said.
“Peter’s dedication reminds us why we must never give up on Ukraine.”
This article is made and published by Kathrine Frich, which may have used AI in the preparation
