Dame Vera Lynn Tops the UK Charts at the Age of 92

Following hard on the heels of the Queen Mother’s war letter it now seems that another famous British World War 2 morale booster has come into the limelight.

Dave Vera Lynn has released an album to coincide with the anniversary of the start of World War 2 and surprisingly it’s immediately gone into our charts over here in the UK. 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8229842.stm

My father served in the army during the War as a body guard to a certain high ranking officer and was naturally placed in the ‘thick of things’, often ‘disappearing’ for months on end without being able to get word to his mother and father.  He spent two years up in Iceland but unfortunately the tins of ‘bully beef’, baked beans and curry eventually took their toll on his digestive system and he ended up with food poisoning.  In fact he became so ill and so weak that the USAAF (God bless ‘em) flew him back to Blighty.  They were returning to England to carry out a mission and agreed that they’d carry him home.

Following his recovery, Dad then went on to be involved in the D Day landings.  I can remember him telling me that, following the landings morale was extremely low.  He said the troops had basically been dropped in the ocean – they’d had to wade to the shore with full kit bags and, in order to keep their rifles dry, had had to hold them above their heads which meant that they were utterly defenceless against the German onslaught from the shore.  On reaching the shore they then had to crawl across a beach littered with dead bodies before hiding amongst what undergrowth they could find.  By the time they had reached relative safety they were soaking wet, cold, and depressed.  Some while after the landings and once the allied forces had gained some ground, it was then the unenviable task of some of the troops (my father amongst them) of going over the bodies on the beach, gathering up dog tags and then arranging for the bodies to be piled up alongside shattered allied vehicles.  A very short ‘funeral service’ was held on the beach followed by a systematic mass cremation.

Obviously there were equally horrific events going on elsewhere in the world and if it hadn’t been for people like Vera Lynn life could have been unbearable.  Dad was fortunate to see Vera in action – she stood on the back of an old army truck, smiled widely and sang her heart out despite bombing and enemy fire booming in the background.  One extremely gutsy lady who deserved her ‘Dame’ status for services rendered to her country!