The general public will soon be able to discover Dame Vera Lynn’s extraordinary collection of wartime items following the donation of the archive to the Imperial War Museum.
The late singer’s Second World Wararchive, which contains over 600 fan letters, will undergo a ‘strict preservation procedure’ before being shown to the public, the southLondon museum said.
The collection features the personal diary of the Forces’ Sweetheart from her 1944 tour ofIndia, the agreement for herBBCRadio show “Sincerely Yours,” 160 wartime agreements for over 200 performances, letters from Dame Vera to her husband Harry Lewis, and articles of clothing from her Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA) tropical uniform.
Her energetic songs like We’ll Meet Again, (There’ll be Bluebirds Over) the White Cliffs of Dover, and There’ll Always Be an England made her beloved by the troops, earning her the endearing title The Forces’ Sweetheart.
She put her life in danger to visit soldiers, frequently traveling thousands of miles during World War II to inspire those she referred to as ‘my boys’.
Lady Vera performed open-air concerts for troops in Egypt, India, and Burma as part of the ENSA.
She became a hero to the “forgotten Fourteenth Army” due to her tour in India between March and June 1944, which took place while they were still engaged in the harsh Burma campaign.
Her BBC radio program “Sincerely Yours” linked soldiers overseas with their family and friends back home through the airwaves during the war.
The last studio album by Dame Vera, titled Unforgettable, came out in 2010.
When Dame Vera passed away in a hospital in June 2020 at the age of 103, the first person to be informed was the late Queen Elizabeth.
They had been acquainted since she performed at the 16th birthday celebration of Princess Elizabeth at Windsor.
The two were said to have maintained a lasting friendship throughout their lives. Dame Vera’s daughter, Virginia, once mentioned to the Daily Mail: ‘They often met at different gatherings.’
The Queen possessed a very dry sense of humor, while Mummy had a playful, giggly way of finding amusement in silly things that would suddenly strike her as funny. She didn’t really care that they came from different backgrounds. She loved her.
She was the oldest musician to achieve a top 40 album in the UK during the year of her passing, as her greatest hits collection, 100, made it onto the charts.
The vocalist came from East Ham, London, as the daughter of a plumber. She wed her musician spouse, Harry Lewis, in 1941, following their meeting in 1939. The couple had a daughter named Virginia, born in 1946.
Following the war, Dame Lynn dedicated her efforts to charitable activities supporting former soldiers, children with disabilities, and breast cancer patients.
In 1976, Lynn was honored with a damehood and in 2000, she was recognized as the Briton who most perfectly represented the essence of the 20th century.
A representative from the Imperial War Museum stated, “Her music and dedication to entertaining troops during World War II made her a beacon of hope for Britons everywhere, both within the country and overseas.”
She maintained a strong link with the military throughout her 90-year career, and IWM is honored to be involved in safeguarding her legacy via this important purchase.
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