Paris (AFP)

As long as there are surviving British soldiers from World War II, the name of Vera Lynn, a British singer who died Thursday at 103 years of age, will continue to breathe a bittersweet whiff of nostalgia.

This legend of the United Kingdom, nicknamed the "fiancée of the armed forces", supported, throughout the war, the morale of the troops with her laughing and patriotic ballads. She traveled thousands of kilometers to visit the contingents in Egypt, India, Burma, visited hospitals and performed in armaments factories.

On the battlefields, in France, the Netherlands, Italy, the Maghreb and even as far as the Far East: wherever there was a radio, men gathered to the sound of "(There'll be Bluebirds over) the white cliffs of Dover "(1941) or" We'll meet again "(1939) and for many of them, these quaint words sung in full voices by this young blonde woman with a slender figure offered them wings to fight the Nazis.

In March, just before blowing out 103 candles in the midst of a new coronavirus pandemic, Vera Lynn encouraged people to find "the same spirit that crossed our war."

Shortly afterwards, Queen Elisabeth II borrowed the title of her famous song from her by concluding an exceptional address to the British with "We will meet again" ("We will meet again").

And on May 8, for lack of mass commemorations for the 75th anniversary of the capitulation of Nazi Germany, the confined population was called to sing the song.

"Dame Vera Lynn", as she has been known in the UK since her ennobling, died Thursday "surrounded by her immediate family," the family said in a statement.

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Born March 20, 1917 in East Ham, a modest suburb of London, Vera Margaret Welch sang at the age of seven, under the name of her grandmother. From 1935, she appeared on the radio with the dance orchestras of Joe Loss then Charlie Kunz. She meets Harry Lewis, a clarinetist and saxophonist whom she marries in 1941. The couple, united until the death of the musician in 1998, have a daughter.

During the conflict, she launched her own BBC program, "Sincerely Yours", and participated in three war films. After the armistice, its success was confirmed in the United States where it became the first Briton to find itself number one in American sales in 1952 with its version of the German theme "Auf Wierdersehen Sweetheart".

With the advent of rock, the singer with old-fashioned charm sinks somewhat into oblivion. Regularly, she takes part in the commemorations of the landing in France and the armistice in Europe, remaining the vocal champion of the veterans.

In 1995, at the age of 78, she gave her last public concert on the occasion of the Queen's Jubilee. She has honored her on numerous occasions.

In 2009 at 92, she became the oldest artist to appear in the Top 20 best-selling albums in the United Kingdom with her compilation "We'll Meet Again - The very best of Vera Lynn". She gives the pawn to the American rapper Eminem.

"This music may sound a little bland to the ears of young people. But for us, it was stimulating and full of meaning," she said on the BBC microphone on the day of her hundredth birthday.

His last album, "Vera Lynn 100" released on this occasion had pulverized a new record by becoming number 3 in the British ranking.

Last May, in the context of the 75th anniversary of the capitulation of Nazi Germany on May 8, 1945, the album was in 30th place on the British charts, making "Dame Vera" the oldest artist to appear in the top 40 of the best-selling albums in the United Kingdom.

© 2020 AFP