CAPTAIN Sir Tom Moore paid tribute to Dame Vera Lynn ahead of her private funeral.

Remembering her visit to troops in Burma, the Second World War veteran and NHS fundraiser told ITV's Good Morning Britain: "There she was, this lovely English girl... she was a great person to give us a lot more confidence and we were very, very pleased to see her."

He recently received a letter from Dame Vera in recognition of the millions he has raised for the NHS and said: "I was absolutely thrilled to get a letter from Dame Vera congratulating me on the amount of money that we'd raised for my birthday.

Dame Vera Lynn will be honoured with a Spitfire flypast in her beloved Sussex village before her funeral today.

The adored singer, who entertained troops with morale-boosting visits to the front line during the Second World War, died aged 103 on June 18.

Crowds are expected to gather in the picturesque village of Ditchling today, where she lived, to say goodbye to their "special local lady".

Ahead of the day, a giant portrait of the Forces Sweetheart was beamed onto the White Cliffs of Dover to commemorate her life.

The Argus:

The cortege will leave her family home and pause at the crossroads in the centre of the village to allow residents to pay their respects.

At about midday, a Spitfire and a Hurricane - two of the most famous aircraft from the war - will soar over the village as a show of respect for Dame Vera.

Virginia Lewis-Jones, Dame Vera's daughter, said: "We want to thank everyone for their tremendous support over the past few weeks.

"My mother always appreciated receiving messages from all over the world, and Ditchling was always particularly special to her, that is why we know she would be touched that so many people want to pay their respects in the village tomorrow."

She asked that people follow Government guidance and respect Ditchling's residents if they are visiting from somewhere else.

She added: "It means so much to us to see my mother's legacy living on.

"We are sure her music will endure forever but most importantly, we hope that people will continue to support those charities that she cared about so much."