Rest In Peace Dame Vera

An inspiration 80 years ago and an inspiration today.

Enduring Sweetheart VEDay 75 portrait of Dame Vera Lynn

Dame Vera Lynn is etched into Britain’s history.

Indelible memories of a national icon will never fade. The voice we loved is still. The songs will live on.

Rest in peace Dame Vera Lynn.

The Portrait ‘The Enduring Sweetheart’ has been placed on auction on eBay auction page to raise funds for the charity and a crowdfunding page has been  launched to benefit Dame Vera Lynn Children’s Charity with proceeds from  donations in return for limited edition prints can be found ​HERE

VE Day 75 – The Enduring Sweetheart Dame Vera Lynn portrait by Dan Llywelyn Hall

Enduring Sweetheart VEDay 75 portrait of Dame Vera Lynn

Talented portrait artist Dan Llywelyn Hall has painted a new official portrait of Dame Vera Lynn to be unveiled to benefit  Dame Vera Lynn Children’s Charity marking the 75th anniversary of  VE Day.

The oil on canvas portrait entitled ‘The Enduring Sweetheart’ commissioned for the Dame Vera Lynn Children’s Charity by Dan Llywelyn Hall  has been made from video recordings and photos supplied by the family made  during the ‘lockdown’ period.

Dan ​said: ​‘Dame Vera’s music has epitomised the human spirit in times  of strife and is still at work as the nation’s morale-boosting sweetheart. She  communicates longing of the soul in times of estrangement. Our herald of optimism  during dark times of our nation.’
Dame Vera said of the portrait: ​‘​I found it very interesting, and so grateful that [Dan]  has done this on behalf of our Children’s Charity. Let’s hope it makes lots of money for us!’.

Katherine Jenkins said of the portrait​: ‘​Dame Vera is a true icon, beloved by many and an  inspiration to me personally. Her songs provided a soundtrack of comfort to the nation and she  continues to boost morale today. It’s wonderful to see her honoured in this beautiful portrait and  I hope it raises lots of much needed funds for her charity.’

Pilar Cloud, Executive Manager of the Dame Vera Lynn Charity Director said:​ ​“In  these unprecedented times, we are so grateful to be able to look to the example of positivity and ingenuity that our President, Dame Vera, has given us. Rather than  focusing on all the things that we cannot do now, the team and I at the Charity are trying  to adapt to ensure that we can carry on providing support to our families so that their  children do not suffer during this lockdown period. Their needs have not changed, but  our service and certainly our ability to fundraise for it, has been profoundly impacted.  We are in the midst of a funding crisis and are so incredibly grateful to Dan Llywelyn Hall  for choosing to support us with the profits from the sale of his beautiful portrait and the  print of this Charity’s founder, Dame Vera Lynn.

The Portrait ‘The Enduring Sweetheart’ has been placed on auction on eBay auction page to raise funds for the charity and a crowdfunding page has been  launched to benefit Dame Vera Lynn Children’s Charity with proceeds from  donations in return for limited edition prints can be found ​HERE

Dame Vera Lynn now 103, has become a global icon for her morale-boosting visits  to the front line during the war, entertaining the troops and relaying messages of  goodwill. In the recent global pandemic, Dame Vera’s music has again become an  anthem for a much-needed morale boost, following the Queen’s broadcast in  April and has again topped the charts with her famous ‘We’ll Meet Again’; a recent  duet version with Katherine Jenkins.  The global COVID-19 pandemic has created a very uncertain landscape for many  British charities. This portrait project hopes to help the cause with your support.

Since the ​Charity​ was established in 2001 by Dame Vera Lynn, the Forces  Sweetheart, it has helped more than 600 families from across the Southeast who  have with children cerebral palsy and other motor learning impairments.

The charity’s story began in late 2000 with the announcement by the national  charity Scope, that it would no longer be able to fund its network of School for  Parents, facilities providing early intervention services based on the principles of  Conductive Education to support parents in raising a pre-school aged child with  cerebral palsy or other neurological condition. Each year in the UK, 1,800 children  are born with cerebral palsy. Over the last year they have provided 1,200 hours of  hands-on support to our families and 275 hours of Outreach support.

To request an image or arrange interviews with either the charity or the artist contact: richiebloomberg@gmail.com

To speak with the Dame Vera Lynn Children’s Charity Executive  Manager, Pilar Cloud: ​pilar.cloud@dvlcc.org.uk

Dan Llywelyn Hall portrait artist Dambusters Reunited. Image courtesy of Dan.

Dan’s work has featured on Solent Aviatrix before. Pleased to be able to feature it again. Go to his website HERE

VE Day 75 Locked Down – Unlisted ATA Men Remembered

Jitterbug Jivers, Lee High Street, D-Day 70. Copyright Anne Grant.

What was normal is no more. Life may not return to the norm we knew for months or years.

Stay at Home NHS Keyworkers Rainbow

Covid-19 cancellations of planned events includes V.E. Day 75, rightly so.

There will be no dancing in the lock down empty streets on 7 May this year. The planned Victory in Europe  VE75 celebrations are on hold. There will be valiant ‘virtual’ celebrations to honour those who didn’t survive and those who did but are no longer with us.

Just as the Second World War came to an end, the Covid-19 pandemic will also eventually end. Much is being sacrificed by so many during this health crisis. Sadly, far too many are making the ultimate sacrifice. It can only be hoped that each life lost will be named and remembered in some way.

D-Day 75 at Southwick Winston Churchill

Similarly over the years, efforts have been made for all deceased WW2 service personnel to be officially commemorated somewhere. Yet it still remains that some had their war time role incorrectly classified. This may be the case with four men who lost their lives in a so-called ‘friendly fire’ accident off the Devon coast.

In January 2020, the National Archives (NA) opened up previously classified documents locked away for over 75 years.

One such record reveals that the four men died on 15 February 1942 in an air crash off Plymouth, while serving with the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA).

A year after the incident the deceased were identified in The Times newspaper report of the official inquiry as being with British Overseas Airways Corporation (B.O.A.C) That may explain why the men were not listed in E.C. Cheesman’s official history of the ATA , ‘Brief Glory.’

The mistake is not surprising because when the ATA was formed, it was attached to BOAC. In researching some of the women pilots who are remembered on this Solent Aviatrix website, I have seen war time correspondence between ATA and BOAC in which the latter is asking ATA, ‘is the deceased pilot with ATA or BOAC?’

So even BOAC Administration Section were not sure. Although both organisations had striven to be well-oiled machines, that aim was not always achieved in the confusion and chaos of war time. In fairness to both organisations, that was possibly the case with First Officer Richard John Williamson, Second Officer Hubert France Parker, Captain John Alexander Stuart Hunter and Flight Engineer Horace Reginald Spicer.

The tragedy happened when their aircraft was returning to Bournemouth Airport (RAF Hurn) from RAF Cairo, having flown from Hurn to Egypt three weeks before. The Liberator was shot down by a Spitfire off the Eddystone Lighthouse. G-AGDR (AM 918) was mistaken for an incoming enemy aircraft. On board were five other men who also died that day.

D-Day 75 Southwick Revival Army Air Force Broadcasting Unit

The NA record identified the other five as Lieutenant Vine (US Army), Colonel Griffiths (US Army), Brigadier Norris (US Army), Captain Robert Humphrey Page (BOAC) and Harold E. Bell (BOAC).

The Times reported some contradictions to this. The newspaper stated that C.L.M.Vine as serving with RNR (UK) and Brigadier Frederick Morris (not Norris) serving with RAOC (UK).

Which is correct, the National Archives record or The Times air correspondent? Given this confusion, are the four ATA men actually BOAC as previously believed?

An indicator to the correct facts may be that the NA has also opened up this year another two records kept closed for 75 years, records which identify two more pilots as serving with ATA. They also were omitted from ‘Brief Glory’ or ‘Forgotten Pilots,’ just like Williamson, Parker, Hunter and Spicer were not listed.

D-Day Revival D-Day 75 at Southwick Paratrooper and Spitfire

Why does any of this matter all these years later? It may matter to their descendants.

They may like to know that their ancestor served in the Second World War with the Air Transport Auxiliary, an organisation which has gained increasing admiration and respect with the passage of time.

We will remember them on ‘virtual’ VE Day 75.

Staying at home for Britain

Stay Safe. Stay at home for Britain.