East Ham: Last News

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.

Vera Lynn, the British singer whose songs were hugely popular during the Second World War, has died aged 103.A statement from her family said: "The family are deeply saddened to announce the passing of one of Britain's best-loved entertainers at the age of 103."Dame Vera Lynn, who lived in Ditchling, East Sussex, passed away earlier today, 18 June 2020, surrounded by her close family."Lynn was widely known as "the Forces' Sweetheart" as her performances inspired and gave hope to troops in Egypt, India, and Burma during the war.The songs most associated with her include "We'll Meet Again" and "The White Cliffs of Dover".She was born in 1917 in the London suburb of East Ham, the daughter of a plumber.