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Vera Lynn (born March 20, 1917) is a British singer whose career flourished during World War II, when she was nicknamed "The Forces Sweetheart".

She was born Vera Margaret Welch (Lynn was her grandmother's maiden name), in East Ham, London. She began singing at the age of seven. Her first radio broadcast, with the Joe Loss Orchestra, was made in 1935. She married clarinettist and saxophonist Harry Lewis in 1939. In 1940 she began her own radio series, Sincerely Yours.

Her "Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart" became the first record by a UK artist to top the US charts, and she appeared regularly on Tallulah Bankhead's US radio programme The Big Show.

She was appointed an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in 1969 and a DBE (Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 1975.

Recordings

• "The General's Fast Asleep" (1935)
• "No Regrets" (1935)
• "When the Poppies Bloom Again"
• "I'm in the Mood for Love" (Rex Records, 1935)
• "Sailing Home With The Tide" (Rex Records, 1935)
• "Thanks A Million" (Rex Records, 1935)
• "Heart Of Gold" (Rex Records, 1936)
• "A Star Fell Out Of Heaven" (Rex Records, 1936)
• "Crying My Heart Out For You" (Rex Records, 1936)
• "It's Love Again" (Rex Records, 1936)
• "Did Your Mother Come From Ireland?" (Rex Records, 1936)
• "Have You Forgotten So Soon?" (Rex Records, 1936)
• "Everything Is Rhythm" (Rex Records, 1936)
• "When My Dream Boat Comes Home" (Rex Records, 1937)
• "Goodnight, My Love" (Rex Records, 1937)
• "All Alone In Vienna" (Rex Records, 1937)
• "Careless" (1940)
• "Until You Fall in Love" (1940)
• "It's a Lovely Day Tomorrow" (1940)
• "When You Wish upon a Star" (1940)
• "Memories Live Longer Than Dreams" (1940)
• "There'll Come Another Day" (1940)
• "Smilin' through" (1941)
• "When They Sound the Last All Clear" (1941)
• "Yours" (1941)
• "My Sister and I"
• "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire"
• "We'll Meet Again" (from the 1942 film of the same name)
• "You're in my Arms"
• "You Can't Be True, Dear" (1948)
• "Again"
• "Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart" (1952)
• "If You Love Me (Really Love Me)"
• "My Son, My Son" (UK number 1, 1954)
• "Homing Waltz"
• "Forget Me Not"
• "Windsor Waltz"
• "Who Are We"
• "A House With Love In It"
• "The Faithful Hussar (Don't Cry My Love)"
• "Travellin' Home"
• Hits Of The Sixties (album)
  • "By the Time I Get To Phoenix"
  • "Everybody's Talking"
  • "The Fool On The Hill"

Films

• We'll Meet Again (1942)
• Rhythm Serenade (1943)
• One Exciting Night (1944)

References

• Vera Lynn, Vocal Refrain, 1975, W.H. Allen, London.
• R. Cross, We'll Meet Again
• The Wall, by Pink Floyd, 1979 (The song 'Vera' on this album is named after her, and about her)