Dame Vera Lynn, 1917-2020

We were incredibly sad to hear the news that Dame Vera Lynn has passed away, aged 103. As Dame Esther Rantzen stated on ITV’s This Morning, Dame Vera’s passing feels like a very personal loss for the whole nation. A cross-generational icon, her kindness, generosity and unwavering dedication to our Armed Forces will serve as an inspiration for many, many years to come.

Dame Vera’s link with The Not Forgotten had been steadfast since WWII and we consider it a great honour to have been a charity she loved and cared for. Her presence at our events brought immeasurable joy to our veterans – whom she always affectionately referred to as ‘my boys’ – who would crowd around her to catch a glimpse of their Forces Sweetheart.

Dame Vera Lynn’s legacy will live on, but she will be sorely missed by us all.