In May, for VE Day, she said: ‘They left their families and homes to fight for our freedom and many lost their lives trying to protect us and our liberties.’Dame Vera also encouraged the British public to ‘rediscover that same spirit that saw us through the war’ amid the coronavirus pandemic, in a special message before she turned 103 in March.The performer was born in East Ham, east London, on 20 March, 1917 and went on to perform for troops during the war, often at great personal risk, in countries including Egypt, India and Burma.In May this year, Dame Vera became the oldest artist to score a top 40 album in the UK when the 103-year-old saw her greatest hits album, 100, re-enter the chart at number 30, boosted by commemorations for the.