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Dame Vera Lynn’s ‘vast wartime archive’ joins Imperial War Museum collection

The Second World War trove includes more than 600 fan letters as well as the late singer’s personal diary from her 1944 tour of India.

By contributor Mathilde Grandjean, Press Association
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Supporting image for story: Dame Vera Lynn’s ‘vast wartime archive’ joins Imperial War Museum collection
A photo signed by Vera Lynn during her 1944 India tour on display at the Imperial War Museum (Lucy North/PA)

A Second World War trove of objects, letters and documents that belonged to Dame Vera Lynn has become the Imperial War Museum’s latest acquisition.

The late singer’s wartime archive – which includes more than 600 fan letters – will go through a “rigorous collection care process” before it can be displayed to the public, the museum in London said.

The collection includes Dame Vera’s personal diary from her 1944 tour of India, the contract for her BBC radio show Sincerely Yours, 160 wartime contracts for more than 200 engagements, letters from Dame Vera to her husband Harry Lewis, and items of clothing from her Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA) tropical uniform.

An Auxiliary Territorial Service hat worn by Dame Vera Lynn on display at the Imperial War Museum, London
An Auxiliary Territorial Service hat worn by Dame Vera Lynn on display at the Imperial War Museum in London (Lucy North/PA)

Dame Vera made her name during the Second World War when her rousing songs, such as We’ll Meet Again, (There’ll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs Of Dover and There’ll Always Be An England, earned her the affectionate moniker The Forces’ Sweetheart.

Her BBC radio show Sincerely Yours connected troops abroad with their loved ones listening at home over the airwaves during the conflict.

She also gave outdoor concerts for the troops in Egypt, India and Burma as part of the ENSA.

Vera Lynn’s personal diary detailing her 1944 tour of India, on display at Imperial War Museum
Dame Vera Lynn’s personal diary detailing her 1944 tour of India (Lucy North/PA)

Dame Vera’s tour in India from March to June 1944 made her a hero to the “forgotten Fourteenth Army”, which was still fighting the bitter Burma campaign after VE Day.

Her final studio album, Unforgettable, was released in 2010.

She died in June 2020 aged 103, after she became the oldest artist to have a top 40 album in the UK in May that year, with her greatest hits album 100.

A pair of khaki shorts worn by Dame Vera on display at the Imperial War Museum
A pair of khaki shorts worn by Dame Vera Lynn on display at the Imperial War Museum (Lucy North/PA)

“Her music and commitment to visiting troops during the Second World War made her a symbol of hope for Britons both at home and abroad,” a spokesperson for the Imperial War Museum said.

“She remained closely connected to the armed forces for the rest of her 90-year career, and IWM is proud to be part of preserving her legacy through this significant acquisition.”