Anne Shelton

Born Patricia Jacqueline Sibley on 10 November 1923, Anne Shelton, came to be known as the “Forces’ Favourite” on wartime radio.

A singer with a wholesome girl-next-door appeal, she provided an instant hit with her weekly radio programme for the BBC during World War II.

She was also supposed to accompany Glenn Miller on the ill-fated 1944 flight when the bandleader’s plane vanished en route to France. She missed the trip because she had other plans.

Shelton’s post-war hits included Arrivederci Darling (1955), Lay Down Your Arms (which was engineered by Joe Meek and reached #1 in 1956), Seven Days (1956) and Sailor (a Top 10 hit in 1961).

She appeared in three Royal Variety Performances – in 1953, 1959 and 1978.

Shelton died in London on 31 July 1994 of a heart attack. She was 66.

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