Dame Vera Lynn still going strong at 95
Dame Vera Lynn – the forces' sweetheart of World War Two and a national treasure – today reveals some of the secrets of her incredible life in a rare public interview with the Shropshire Star. Dame Vera, now aged 95, is rarely seen in public.
But she granted exclusive access to Shropshire Star feature writer Shirley Tart, who met her for an interview.
Dame Vera toured Egypt, India and Burma during World War II, giving outdoor concerts for the troops, and became forever associated with such songs as We'll Meet Again and The White Cliffs of Dover.
She made it to number one on the British album chart at the age of 92, setting a new world record, and in 2000 was named the Briton who best exemplified the spirit of the 20th century.
Dame Vera talked about her tours of foreign countries and her thrill at receiving awards for her work.
She also revealed that she had kept many souvenirs, including albums stuffed with letters, pictures and memories.
She said: "I wasn't allowed a camera. That was because if I had been captured by the enemy they might have been able to identify where we were and who was there.
"But after the war, families and some of the boys sent me letters and pictures they had been able to take.
"When I first arrived in Burma, they couldn't believe it – that someone had gone all that way to the war zone to entertain them."
The first of a two-part serialisation of her exclusive interview with Shirley Tart appears today on page 8 and the second part will appear in tomorrow's Star.
