Entertainer. She ws the daughter of Annie, a dressmaker, and Bertram Welch, a plumber and docker. At age 11, she took her grandmother's maiden name as a stage name to join Madame Harris' Kracker Kabaret Kids, a juvenile singing troupe. After leaving school at 15, she signed with bandleader Howard Baker, who worked the social circuit in the East End of London. A brief period with Billy Cotton's band followed, and then Charlie Kunz's band on BBC broadcasts. From 1937 to 1940, she worked with bandleader Bert Ambrose. The Ambrose Octet toured extensively and took part in broadcasts for the BBC and for Radio Luxembourg. In 1939, she recorded her signature song, "We'll Meet Again" for the first time. That same year, saxophonist Harry Lewis joined the Ambrose orchestra, and, in 1941, he married the singer, after which she left the band to perform as a solo act. BBC's "Forces Programme," which had been established to broadcast to the British military forces, saw her voted "Number 1 Forces Sweetheart" by listeners, and she would get her own BBC radio show, "Sincerely Yours, Vera Lynn," in November 1941. The following year, she recorded "The White Cliffs of Dover." In 1942, she appeared in the film "We'll Meet Again." In 1944, she visited troops in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, which led to a lifelong commitment to the veterans. After the war, her radio program continued for several years. Decca Records released "Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart" in the United States in 1952, and she became the first English artist to hit number one on the American charts. Her biggest hit in the UK, "My Son, My Son," followed, reaching number 1 in 1954. In 1955, she was given her first television series, "Vera Lynn Sings," which ran for three seasons. Another program, "Vera Lynn Presents," ran for the 1960 season. She was awarded the Order of the British Empire in the 1969 Queen's New Year Honours List. During the 1970s, she made frequent concert performances and television appearances. She published her autobiography, "Vocal Refrain," in 1975, and that year was created Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's Birthday Honours List. She was the founder and president of the Dame Vera Lynn Children's Charity, which supported children with cerebral palsy. She wrote the memoir, "We'll Meet Again," with Robin Cross and Jenny de Gex in 1989. She made her final public performance at a V-E Day (Victory in Europe) anniversary event at Hyde Park in 1995 before retiring. A third memoir, "Some Sunny Day," was published in 2009. That year, she became the oldest living artist to have a number one album, or even an album in the top ten, in the United Kingdom with "We'll Meet Again: The Very Best of Vera Lynn." For her 100th birthday, she released "Vera Lynn 100," featuring new orchestrations of her best-known songs. She passed away at 103, just weeks after the 75th anniversary of V-E Day. The Royal British Legion described her as "an unforgettable British icon...symbol of hope to the Armed Forces community, past and present."