Sunderland soldier plays key role at Dame Vera Lynn's funeral

As the coffin was carried into a Brighton crematorium, Lance Sergeant Jonathan Robson, 31, known as Bobby, was one of only a dozen members of the armed forces’ route lining party from the army, navy and air force.

Lance Sergeant Robson was proud to have been part of the occasion and said: “Being in the British Army has given me the opportunity to support some incredibly important events, and to form part of the guard honouring Dame Vera is a huge privilege for me.

“For someone who has contributed so much to our Nation and in particular to our armed forces, our support to Dame Vera’s funeral is a fitting tribute.”

Lance Sergeant Robson is a section commander in Number Seven Company of the Coldstream Guards, having joined the army almost a decade ago.

He has been on operations in Afghanistan as well as Belize, Kenya and the Falkland Islands.

The Wearsider is currently based in Wellington Barracks, in Westminster, where footguard battalions reside as it is close to Buckingham Palace.

His main role these days is ceremonial, which means guarding royal palaces and providing ceremony on state occasions. On June 18 he was part of the guard of honour for the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to London.

We’ll Meet Again singer Dame Vera died on June 18 at the age of 103. Her funeral was held at Woodvale Crematorium in Brighton.

She became known as The Forces Sweetheart and her voice became synonymous with efforts to keep the nation’s morale high during the darkest hours of World War Two.

Dame Vera’s cortege passed through Ditchling, the East Sussex village where she spent her final years, with the hearse pausing at the heart of the town to allow residents to pay their respects.

The funeral cortege then continued to Brighton. On a day for icons, the occasion was also marked by a flyover by two Spitfires.

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