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Funeral Of Dame Vera Lynn To Take Place In Ditchling Today

The funeral of the late Dame Vera Lynn is to take place in Ditchling today, after she passed away last month aged 103.

Just before midday at the crossroads in her home village of Ditchling, Sussex, the singer's funeral cortege will pause, allowing crowds to pay their respects as a Spitfire and a Hurricane fly overhead.

Diversions will be in place in the town to allow for the procession to take place. 

The closures will affect B2112 Common Lane; B2112 North End; B2112 High Street; B2112 South Street; Beacon Road; Upper Beacon Road; and Ditchling Road, between the hours of 9am and 12.30pm. This is to allow the funeral procession to pass through the village safely.

Inspector James Scott of the Roads Policing Unit said:

"Public safety is our priority and these road closures, alongside a small police presence in the village on the day, are in place to protect the community and help ensure the safe and smooth running of Dame Vera Lynn's funeral. 

"We thank everyone in advance for their patience and cooperation during these closures."

In an interview with Sky News, close friend Susan Fleet, who worked as her assistant for more than 20 years, said:

"She would be incredibly humbled because she was the most humble person you would meet.

"She would feel very special, very loved, as she deserves to be."

Dame Vera died aged 103 on 18 June, since then, Ms Fleet told Sky News she has been inundated with letters from the singer's fans.

"She wasn't just a national treasure, she was loved all over the world.

"I'm fortunate that I get to open her mail and it's come from every country - from children as young as five or six, to people over 100, and everyone in between."

 

After the flypast, a family funeral service will take place at Woodvale Crematorium in Brighton.

The service itself is private but a military bearer party will receive Dame Vera's coffin and a bugler from the Royal Marines will provide a musical tribute inside the chapel.

Over the decades Dame Vera's place in the nation's affections has never diminished. Few did more to lift the nation's morale in wartime Britain.

Her songs such as We'll Meet Again and The White Cliffs Of Dover provided Britons at the time with much-needed courage and hope.

Dame Vera often said her proudest moments came in 1944, when she was out on the ground, visiting the forces.

Ms Fleet added: 

"Her visit to Burma was the most important thing in her life.

"To go out to her boys and bring them a little taste of home was the most important thing that she felt she ever did… she had a backbone of steel, to go to the jungle and to be so close to the front line.

"To sing to the boys was the most significant thing, as far as she was concerned, in her life."

Her last official public performance was on the 50th anniversary of VE Day in 1995, but away from the stage Dame Vera was still singing.

A full memorial service is expected to be held at a later date.

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