Dame Vera Lynn, who sang the 1939 track ‘We’ll Meet Again’, a symbol of hope for Second World War soldiers, has died at the age of 103.
Lynn’s family were “deeply saddened” to share the news of “the passing of one of Britain’s best-loved entertainers.”
During her life, Lynn had been nicknamed the Forces Sweetheart in the UK as she was a favourite artist among the men and women serving in the British armed forces and frequently performed shows for them.
In 1975, she was appointed Dame for her charitable services. Her philanthropic works include launching a cerebral palsy charity named Stars Organisation for Spastics (SOS) in 1953 and chairing the Vera Lynn Charity Breast Cancer Research Trust in 1976.
At 92 years old, Lynn became the oldest living person to hit No 1 on the British album charts in 2009. She bested the Arctic Monkeys and the Beatles with her compilation album ‘We’ll Meet Again: The Very Best of Vera Lynn’. She also surpassed Bob Dylan as the oldest person to have a chart-topping album in the UK.
Lynn died in her East Sussex home.
