Residents and staff at The Royal Star & Garter Homes celebrated the 100^th birthday of the ‘Forces’ Sweetheart’, Dame Vera Lynn.

During the Second World War, she sang songs of hope and inspired brave British soldiers on the front line to be strong during hard times away from family and loved ones. Popular songs such as We’ll Meet Again and White Cliffs of Dover jog memories for many veterans, including the residents at The Royal Star & Garter Homes.

At the Solihull Home, residents listened to the tribute singer Beth Berwick Lowe. When asked how they felt listening to the wartime songs, Douglas said: “It was wonderful to listen to the old music that I remembered from my time in the Army, some of which I still have the old sheet music for. I loved meeting Beth, she had all the right moves and little details just like Vera Lynn.”

Having lived through the War, Joan said:  “Reliving those lovely memories, some of them brought a tear to my eye.  Such wonderful songs, it was a fantastic celebration of a wonderful lady.”

Dame Vera Lynn devoted much time to charity work visiting troops in Burma, India, Egypt and visited families of the soldiers here in the U.K. She visited the residents at the old Richmond Home in 1970 and entertained them for over an hour, performing her wartime classics.