Dame Vera Lynn was the girl-next-door who kept Britain smiling through WW2 – we’ll never meet such an inspiration again
SHE was the girl-next-door from East Ham who kept Britain “smiling through” the Second World War.
As the nation faced its darkest hour, it wasn’t just the bulldog spirit of Winston Churchill that provided comfort and courage but the dulcet tones and film-star looks of Forces’ Sweetheart Vera Lynn.
So when the devastating coronavirus pandemic ushered in the biggest peacetime crisis since the war, the Queen turned to the words of Dame Vera’s best-loved song.
“We will be with our friends again, we will be with our families again . . . we will meet again,” Her Majesty said in a televised address to everyone separated from their loved ones by lockdown.
It’s a sentiment that holds firm and true, as relevant today as when 22-year-old Vera, a pin-up with flowing brown locks, first sang We’ll Meet Again to our armed services soon after the outbreak of hostilities in 1939.
Her death on Thursday aged 103, surrounded by close family, should not be seen as the passing of a singer from a bygone era, more the celebration of the life of an enduring inspiration.
Fighting spirit
I was fortunate enough to secure the only interview with Dame Vera when she reached her century milestone, and no doubt received a special message from the Queen.
She remembered being blissfully unaware of the impact We’ll Meet Again would have on her wartime listeners and of the special place she was about to secure in their hearts.
“I just wanted to do my bit,” she said. “I never really considered my actions as brave or courageous.
“Everyone was trying to help the war effort and I was honoured to play a role. We’ll Meet Again has always been a personal favourite. I can’t speak for everyone, but I would say that the words are what make it so resonant and poignant.
“They spoke to the mood of the entire nation during a dark time, but they also expressed a feeling that transcends time and place — the feeling of being separated from loved ones, and the importance of hope during adversity.”
She maintained that being called Forces’ Sweetheart was “one of her greatest achievements. I feel very honoured that people regard me in this way.”
As you can tell, Dame Vera was gracious and humble in all her answers and I also discovered she hadn’t lost the common touch or fighting spirit.
“I try not to worry too much about anything any more, and enjoy every day as it comes,” she said of her life in Ditchling, East Sussex, with her beloved daughter Virginia.
“There is always something we can be concerned about. The secret is to rise above it and do whatever we can to make the world a better place.”
It was also clear that a very special place remained in her heart for those men and women of Britain who gave up everything for future generations.
She added: “The war was a dark and difficult time but it was quite easy to keep faith when I saw for myself the sacrifices being made by the boys on the front line and everyone on the Home Front.
“The community spirit and collective sense of patriotism saw us all through.”
Dame Vera discussed her second best-remembered song, (There’ll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs Of Dover, written in the wake of the Battle of Britain in 1941.
She said: “When I think about the song’s lyrics, I imagine our boys. The white cliffs were the last thing they saw before they left for war and, for those fortunate enough to return, the first thing they saw to tell them they were home.” She recalled the days when Spitfires, Hurricanes and Messerschmitts dominated the skies over the White Cliffs, with not a bluebird in sight.
“I didn’t see much of the Battle of Britain, but I heard it. I was driving around in my Austin 10 at the time — it had a canvas roof — and going between theatres and camps.
“We were told to stay in but I decided to carry on anyway. I thought if there’s one up there for me, I’d get it wherever I was!”
The lyrics
We’ll meet again
Don’t know where
Don’t know when
But I know we’ll meet again some sunny day
Keep smiling through
Just like you always do
’Till the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away
So will you please say hello
To the folks that I know
Tell them I won’t be long
They’ll be happy to know
That as you saw me go
I was singing this song
We’ll meet again
Don’t know where
Don’t know when
But I know we’ll meet again some sunny day
(repeat from top)
- By Ross Parker & Hughie Charles, 1939
Special memories
As the war progressed through six gruelling years, Dame Vera conducted her own battle through music on several fronts . . . at home and abroad.
She starred in a radio show, Sincerely Yours, which she says “offered a unique opportunity to reunite the boys on the front line with their families back home.
“It was incredibly special to be able to bring some joy and hope to people during those dark days.” As Dame Vera’s popularity grew, she visited troops in Egypt, Burma and India.
She said: “Those trips gave me some of my most special memories. The thing I remember most was the incredible gratitude from the boys.
“They were just so pleased I had gone there to sing to them and cheer them up.”
Though she was later awarded the Burma Star for her courage, she added: “I was never in immediate danger. I had all the boys around to protect me and I never came close to the battles themselves.
“The main issue was being in the jungle — there were many exotic insects and animals, no electricity and no running water. I remember we had to hook up my microphone to the military floodlights. Burma is without doubt one of the most treasured memories of my life.”
And what an incredible, long life it was, beginning on March 20, 1917, more than 18 months before the end of the First World War.
Encouraged by her parents, plumber Bertram and dressmaker Annie Welch, Vera loved singing as a child, soon taking her maternal grandmother’s maiden name Lynn for the stage.
She said: “Before I performed publicly I had already been singing at family events, Christmas, birthdays and other special occasions. Needless to say, I didn’t expect to enjoy the success that has come to me over the years!
“My parents and family were always incredibly supportive. Without my husband Harry (who died in 1998), it would have been much harder to balance life with the profession, and my daughter Virginia has always been a great help to me and is to this day.”
She talked of peacetime, which came in 1945, being a period of adjustment.
“It took a long time to recover from rationing and getting used to enjoying better food,” she said. “We always felt bad for those who had lost loved ones.
“I sincerely hope they realise the part they played during the war was invaluable.”
Dame Vera soon proved that her appeal extended way beyond the war, not only in the UK but across the Atlantic. In 1952, she became the first Brit to top the American charts with Auf Wiederseh’n Sweetheart, a fact not lost on The Beatles when they spearheaded the British invasion more than ten years later.
In the Sixties and Seventies she was a regular on British TV, including a scene where the irrepressible Morecambe and Wise saluted her while wearing Army uniforms.
Ultimate sacrifice
She was very fond of the comedy duo: “Morecambe and Wise were true luminaries.”
Charity work was another abiding theme of Dame Vera’s post-war endeavours. She said: “I first became involved with fundraising for cerebral palsy back in 1953, when there was no awareness of the disorder. It is especially close to my heart.
“I’ve been delighted to see the charity (dvlcc.org.uk) develop and expand. They don’t receive Government funding, so rely on the generosity of individuals.”
When she reached 99, Dame Vera became a Companion of Honour in the Queen’s 90th Birthday Honours. “I was truly delighted and, in accepting it, I did so in remembrance of all our wonderful, brave boys who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.
“I’ve always admired the Queen’s determination, commitment and grace. Long may she reign.”
And a year later she released Vera Lynn 100, re-orchestrated and featuring some of her best-known recordings, including We’ll Meet Again and White Cliffs Of Dover.
It’s also worth pointing out a couple of Dame Vera’s mentions in popular culture. We’ll Meet Again was used in Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 film Dr Strangelove as atomic bombs dropped across the world.
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Pink Floyd’s anti-fascist concept album The Wall bears a song called Vera and the lines, “Does anybody here remember Vera Lynn? How she’d meet us again some sunny day.”
In June 2020, we all remember the Forces’ Sweetheart and national treasure.
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Queen sad for Forces' Sweetheart
THE Queen has sent a private message of condolence to the family of Forces’ Sweetheart Dame Vera Lynn.
A royal source said: “The Queen admired Dame Vera immensely and believed she played a vital role in the Allied victory during the Second World War.
“Her Majesty has sent a private message to Dame Vera’s family expressing her sadness at her passing.”
Others also paid heartfelt tributes to Dame Vera.
Clarence House shared images of the singer receiving her damehood at Buckingham Palace as well as meeting Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall.
Boris Johnson said: “Her charm and magical voice entranced and uplifted our country in some of our darkest hours. Her voice will live on to lift the hearts of generations to come.”
Captain Tom Moore, the World War Two veteran who raised £39million for the NHS, said: “She had a huge impact on me (when I served) in Burma and remained important to me throughout my life.”
Katherine Jenkins, who recorded a duet with Dame Vera said: “I simply cannot find the words to explain just how much I adored this wonderful lady.”
Sir Cliff Richard said: “She was held in such high esteem and my best, and favourite, memory was sharing a performance with her in front of Buckingham Palace for the VE Day celebrations in 1995. We walked to the stage through a crowd of survivors of that war and they were reaching out to touch and get a smile from Vera. I heard the words . . . ‘God bless you’ . . . ‘Thank you’ . . . ‘We love you’ for their very own Forces’ Sweetheart! A great singer, a patriotic woman and a genuine icon.”
Alfie Boe, who sang on her 100th birthday album, said: “Such sad news, especially at this time when her iconic song and spirit touched the nation.”
Michael Ball added: “Her talent was so very rare and special, her service to this country an inspiration.”
Her label boss at Decca Records Dickon Stainer said: “The golden voice of Dame Vera Lynn will live for ever. She is the definition of a timeless artist.”
The Royal British Legion hailed Dame Vera as “an unforgettable British icon and symbol of hope”.
The Army said: “We have lost our sweetheart,” while The Royal Air Force added: “Dame Vera Lynn’s voice inspired the nation for over 80 years, bringing hope in our darkest moments. We join with people across the country to offer our condolences to her family and friends at this sad time.”
- By Chris Pollard and Will Barker
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