Dame Vera Lynn flypast honours Forces' Sweetheart ahead of funeral in Ditchling

Ewan Somerville10 July 2020

A stunning flypast has taken place over Dame Vera Lynn's Sussex village in a touching tribute to the Forces' Sweetheart.

The adored We'll Meet Again singer, who kept troops’ spirits high with visits to the front line during the Second World War, died on June 18 aged 103.

A Spitfire and a Hurricane, two of the most famous aircraft from the war, staged a spectacular Battle of Britain memorial flypast in honour of the hero.

The roar of their unmistakable engines thundered throughout the picturesque village of Ditchling, where Dame Vera lived for fifty years.

Dame Vera Lynn Funeral Flypast - In pictures

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The iconic fighter aircraft performed three passes over the town, which was flooded with socially-distanced spectators, while Union Jack flags fluttered in the wind alongside poppies.

People lined the streets and applauded as the village was brought to a standstill for the funeral cortege and flypast, as residents said goodbye to their "special local lady".

The funeral procession stopped at the crossroads in the centre of Ditchling, to allow people to pay their respects. As the procession made its way through the village there were chants of "hip hip hooray".

Dame Vera's village paid its respects as the cortege made its way along the quaint streets
PA

Ahead of the day, a giant portrait of the Forces Sweetheart was beamed onto the White Cliffs of Dover to commemorate her life.

The spitfires roared over the village (Sky News)

The 100-year-old Second World War veteran, who has raised a staggering £33 million for the NHS during the coronavirus pandemic, remembered her trip to Burma.

“There she was, this lovely English girl… she was a great person to give us a lot more confidence and we were very, very pleased to see her,” he told ITV’s Good Morning Britain.

Dame Vera Lynn - In pictures

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He recently received a letter from Dame Vera in recognition of the millions he has raised for the NHS.

“I was absolutely thrilled to get a letter from Dame Vera congratulating me on the amount of money that we’d raised for my birthday,” he said.

“She was always so kind, she was lovely, I’ve always had a soft place in my heart for Dame Vera. It was very sad when she died.”

Virginia Lewis-Jones, Dame Vera’s daughter, said: “We want to thank everyone for their tremendous support over the past few weeks.

The cortege will make its way to Brighton for Dame Vera's private funeral
PA

“My mother always appreciated receiving messages from all over the world, and Ditchling was always particularly special to her, that is why we know she would be touched that so many people want to pay their respects in the village tomorrow.”

She asked that people follow Government guidance and respect Ditchling’s residents if they are visiting from somewhere else.

She added: “It means so much to us to see my mother’s legacy living on.

Dame Vera Lynn's daughter Virginia Lewis-Jones at the funeral procession
PA

“We are sure her music will endure forever but most importantly, we hope that people will continue to support those charities that she cared about so much.”

After leaving Ditchling, the cortege will move on to the crematorium in Brighton where a tri-service route-lining party will wait outside the chapel, together with a military bearer party ready to receive the coffin.

A bugler from the Royal Marines will provide a musical tribute inside the chapel, and the Ministry of Defence will be represented by a senior officer.

A full memorial service will be held at a later date.

Following Dame Vera’s death last month, residents of Ditchling spoke of the friendly villager they shared with the world.

Roy Burman, 71, told the PA news agency: “She was a character in the village, she joined in, while she was capable, with a lot of the activities and was known and loved by residents.

“We thought of her as very much our special local lady, although of course we shared her with the rest of the world.”

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