Wartime Letters Of Ditchling’s Dame Vera Lynn Reveal Deep Sussex Roots And Global Compassion

Previously unseen wartime letters written by Dame Vera Lynn have shed new light on the East Sussex icon’s tireless efforts to connect families separated by the Second World War.

The archive – now acquired by Imperial War Museums – includes personal correspondence to fans and to her husband, alongside diaries and memorabilia from her overseas tours entertaining British troops.

Best known locally for her long residence in Ditchling, Ditchling, Dame Vera remained a proud Sussex figure throughout her life.

She died in 2020 at the age of 103, leaving behind a legacy closely associated with the South East, including her enduring anthem, The White Cliffs of Dover.

A Lifeline From Sussex To The Front Line

The newly acquired collection reveals how Dame Vera personally compiled lists of soldiers’ names and addresses while visiting hospitals in India and Burma.

She would then write to wives, girlfriends and families back home, reassuring them that their loved ones were safe.

The archive includes more than 600 letters from fans, as well as correspondence between Dame Vera and her husband, Harry Lewis, who played a central role in managing and supporting her career.

Her daughter, Virginia Lewis-Jones, said her parents had carefully preserved the material since the earliest days of her mother’s career.

She described her father as having played a “huge part” in her mother’s life and work, and said the archive would inspire future generations with the “compassion, understanding, courage and hope” Dame Vera embodied.

Diary Of A Gruelling 1944 Tour

Among the most striking items is a diary detailing her 1944 tour of India and Burma, offering a candid account of the harsh conditions she faced alongside British troops.

Her entries recount false air raid alarms, oppressive heat, malfunctioning equipment and illness. On Good Friday she noted:

“Lost piano, mike broke down, voice very bad.”

The following day she wrote: “I can’t speak… Cancelled show… I’m bitten by bugs.”

In Chittagong she recorded taking her “first bath in a tin tub”, while later entries describe hospital performances for “very bad cases” and long journeys in pouring rain to reach remote concert venues.

Also included in the archive are practical items from her tropical uniform – including khaki shorts – described by museum staff as “unglamorous” reminders that she endured the same difficult conditions as the servicemen she entertained.

The Voice That Connected Families

Papers relating to her wartime radio programme, Sincerely Yours, are also part of the collection.

The show attracted up to 2,000 letters a week and played a crucial role in connecting those at home in Sussex and across Britain with loved ones serving overseas.

Curator Simon Offord said the archive provides a “rich insight” into Dame Vera’s personal experiences and highlights the comfort millions drew from her music during wartime.

For many across Sussex – from Ditchling to the wider South East – Dame Vera Lynn was more than a performer.

She became a symbol of hope and resilience, representing how love could survive separation, uncertainty and fear, even in the darkest of times.