[1] Born Chrystabel Jane Drewry in Eastleigh, Hampshire in April 1913,[2] she had an older twin, Sylvia, and was the youngest of eleven children of whom three died young.

Later during her time as 'Jane' the fact she was married became a carefully guarded secret as Leighton-Porter believed her fans thought of her as their girlfriend, and that she must always remain single in their eyes.

The Daily Mirror cartoonist Norman Pett had been drawing a weekly cartoon since 1932 which he called Jane's Journal – The Diary of A Bright Young Thing.

She won the title of "Britain's Perfect Girl" at the London Palladium and was signed up by theatrical agent Lew Grade[2] which led to her starring in the film The Adventures of Jane in 1949.

[5] "Jane" received many letters from servicemen proposing marriage (62 in just one week[6]) and Chrystabel was careful to hide the fact that she had already secretly married Arthur Leighton-Porter, a Royal Air Force pilot, before the outbreak of the war.