Who is Dame Vera Lynn? Life and most famous songs of the We’ll Meet Again singer as she dies aged 103

The singer and ‘forces sweetheart’ has passed away at the age of 103
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Dame Vera Lynn has passed away at age 103.

The performer’s We’ll Meet Again, once used to boost the morale of troops during World War Two, was resurrected during the croonavirus lockdown and at recent VE Day celebrations.

Socially distant street parties across the UK performed the anthem in an act of unity on VE Day earlier this year.

Dame Vera Lynn was known as the Forces SweetheartDame Vera Lynn was known as the Forces Sweetheart
Dame Vera Lynn was known as the Forces Sweetheart

Who is Dame Vera Lynn?

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Dame Vera Lynn was a London-born singer who is best known for performing for the troops during the Second World War.

She performed in countries including Egypt, India and Burma, with her most famous songs including The White Cliffs of Dover and We’ll Meet Again.

As well as travelling across the world to sing, the 103-year-old also hosted a radio show which sent messages to British troops who were serving overseas.

Known as the ‘Forces Sweetheart’, Dame Vera found fame after her song We’ll Meet Again became an anthem of resilience for those who were separated from their loved ones during the war.

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The famous wartime song was also echoed by the Queen when she delivered a special televised address to the nation in April, acknowledging the hardship people across the country were facing during lockdown.

‘Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart’, ‘My Son, My Son’ and ‘Forget-Me-Not’ are among her most famous singles.

Does Dame Vera have any children?

Dame Vera married clarinetist and saxophonist Harry Lewis in 1941, and together they had one child in March 1946.

Her husband passed away in 1998 and she was living with her daughter Virginia Penelope Anne Lewis-Jones in Ditchling, East Sussex.

Her daughter is now 74 years old.

Dame Vera was at the height of her fame when her daughter arrived, a year after the end of the Second World War, and she chose not to have any more children so she could carry on working.

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