# Born 103 Years Ago Today in England, the Wartime Songbird Who Lifted the Spirits of British Soldiers During World War II

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/born-103-years-ago-today-in-england-the-wartime-songbird-who-lifted-the-spirits-of-british-soldiers-during-world-war-ii/
- Published: 2026-11-11T01:30:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-11T02:22:17+00:00
- Original publisher: American Songwriter
- Original article: https://americansongwriter.com/born-103-years-ago-today-in-england-the-wartime-songbird-who-lifted-the-spirits-of-british-soldiers-during-world-war-ii/
- Topics: Celebrity, Entertainment, Music, UK, World

## Key points

- Anne Shelton sang for British troops during the Second World War.
- “Lay Down Your Arms” topped the UK chart in 1956.
- She received an OBE for charity work supporting disabled servicemen.

## Summary

Anne Shelton, the English singer whose broadcasts and performances lifted British soldiers’ spirits during the Second World War, was born in Dulwich on 10 November 1923. Her wartime work made her an enduring voice of comfort for service personnel, while a later chart-topping hit extended her success beyond the war years.

Born Patricia Jacqueline Sibley, Shelton began performing as a teenager and joined bandleader Bert Ambrose’s orchestra. She sang on radio and at military bases, and performed with Bing Crosby; her 1956 recording “Lay Down Your Arms” reached No. 1 in the UK. She also had US chart entries, a UK Top 10 hit with “Sailor” in 1961, acted in films and continued performing into the 1990s. In 1990 she received an OBE for charity work supporting disabled servicemen; she died in 1994, aged 70.

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