When Britain went to war, the BBC went to war along with it. The Corporation struggled to find its proper role in wartime.
The singer Vera Lynn became the most prominent entertainer in Britain and the most familiar voice on the radio, after Winston Churchill’s.
- Listen now:
Playlist:
Fanfare
Opening War Theme
“Stardust.”
Performed by the U.S. Army Blues. Public domain. Source.
Closing War Theme
Except when otherwise indicated, the contents of this podcast are © and ℗ 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 by Mark Painter, all rights reserved. Some music and sound effects used by arrangement with Pond 5.
My father was a radar operator in the New Zealand Navy. He developed an aversion for Vera Lynn. He was close to loudspeakers on the bridge of ship and had to constantly listen to her singing blasting in his ear.