She was every sweetheart they had left behind... every wife, every sister and every mother too. Standing on a makeshift stage in battledress and a slick of lipstick, Vera Lynn would look out at the sea of soldiers’ faces and feel the waves of yearning.
Then she would take a deep breath, nod to her pianist and start to sing her most famous song. And, as her clear, pure tones rang out into the night, the years of separation and sacrifice of war became just a little more bearable.
Because the Forces Sweetheart reassured those fighting for our freedom that they would meet their loved ones again. Dame Vera Lynn, who died yesterday aged 103, was much, much more than a wartime entertainer.