British forces' sweethearts During
World War II, the term "forces' sweetheart" was most commonly associated with singer
Vera Lynn, whose singing of songs such as "
(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover" and "
We'll Meet Again" brought her fame in Britain; others popular at the time included
Gracie Fields and
Anne Shelton. In 2011, London drag queen Richard Rhodes became perhaps the first man in the history of the term to be labelled a forces' sweetheart. , nicknamed "The GI Nightingale" a popular US entertainer during the World War II years, and Korean and Vietnam Wars
United States Frances Langford, an actress and singer, was billed as the "Singing Sweetheart of the Fighting Fronts" from World War II to the
Korean War and the
Vietnam War.
Commonwealth countries Lorrae Desmond, who was at that time best known a singer and recording artist, performed along fellow vocalists
Little Patti,
Normie Rowe,
Dinah Lee and numerous others as the "forces' sweetheart in Australia"
when troops were stationed in Vietnam. Desmond herself toured Vietnam, the Middle East, Malaysia, Singapore, Kenya and Somalia. ==Further reading==