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The
rest of this page is dedicated to the memory of Gracie Fields in
recognition of her unique, individual performance in support of
the Allied Forces of America, Australia, Canada, Great Britain
and New Zealand during and after World War II. Many millions of
service men & women in far off places continued to work
after the cessation of hostilities caring for the wounded and
co-ordinating the great repatriation problem. For them, a
concert or visit from Gracie was a real treat and there are
stories of wounded men queuing for 12 hours to book a place at
concerts in the field. So the job wasn't complete even when the
war was over. Gracie loved her work and considered all people,
of any race or creed to be just, "The Folk".
1939
June 1939
Gracie admitted to hospital for serious operation - unconscious
for
three days - hospitalized for 6 weeks - received 500,000 letters
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1939
Shipyard Sally Directed by Monty Banks
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12-Nov-39
The FIRST ENSA concert is given in FRANCE for
British &
French Troops starring Maurice Chevalier & Gracie Fields.
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17-Nov-39
Gracie Fields in France with the Troops - Harry Parr Davies
Accompanying.
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1940
25-Apr-39
Gracie Fields with Accompanist Harry Parr Davies in Troop
concert in France
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1941
1941
Gracie tours UK for 39 days,
working 34 of them - 84 concerts
given to 410,000 people -
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17-Aug-41
Farewell ENSA Concert at Albert Hall with Gracie Fields at top
of the bill.
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Dec-41
Christmas Show in Vancouver one week after
Pearl Harbour Attack
- Gracie Fields welcomes Americans into the war.
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1942
July 1942
Doctors advise Gracie to rest for long period but
she is back at her war effort fund raising within two months
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1943
1943
Gracie Fields guest appearance in the film
'Stage Door Canteen' singing two songs. Many famous stars took part.
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1943
Film 'Holy Matrimony' with Monty Woolley
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1943
Tour of Australia and New Guinea giving troop concerts
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1943
Gracie makes tour of UK starting in Rochdale
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12-Jun-43
Victory Show in Hollywood
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31-Aug-43
Troop Concert at RAF Waddington Lincolnshire
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14-Sep-43
Concert given at the London Boomerang Club for Royal Australian
Air
Force and Other Personnel - BBC recorded and broadcast to Australia
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29-Sep-43
Malta Concert
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1944
10-Sep-44
Los Angeles Forces Radio - Gracie Fields
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1945
1945
Tour of Cocos Islands
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1945
Film 'Mollie & Me' with Monty Woolley and Roddy MacDowell
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11-Jun-45
Prince of Wales Repatriation Hospital Randwick Australia -
Gracie Fields Concert
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24-Jun-45
Concord New South Wales
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02-Jul-45
Gracie Fields breaks her trip to Australia to entertain troops
at Tocumwal
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03-Jul-45
Melbourne Victoria
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11-Jul-45
Sydney New South Wales
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23-Jul-45
Adelaide Australia - Regent Theatre Sellout of Gracie Fields
Concert
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Aug-45
Solomon Islands Thanksgiving Service - Gracie Fields read one of
the lessons
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16-Aug-45
Torokina Bouganville - Japanese Surrender
announced - Gracie sings 'The Lord's Prayer' to 25,000 men
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17-Aug-45
Jacquinot Bay Casualty Clearing Station
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18-Aug-45
Palpamal New Britain Field Hospital
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18-Aug-45
Lae Area New Guinea
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21-Aug-45
Cape Wom New Guinea - Injured soldiers start booking
their places in the open air 12 hours before Gracie Fields arrives
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23-Aug-45
Halmanera Islands Dutch East Indies
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25-Aug-45
Victory Review Bowl Theatre Tarakan Island Casualty Clearing
Station
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26-Aug-45
Balikapan Borneo
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27-Aug-45
Labuan Borneo Troop Concert
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29-Aug-45
Boomerang Theatre Moratai Dutch East Indies
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30-Aug-45
Boomerang Theatre Moratai Dutch East Indies
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31-Aug-45
Farewell concert at Moratai for US 93rd
Division - Gracie continuing on to Burma, India and Italy
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01-Oct-45
Changi Singapore - Concert for Ex- POWs and
Nurses in the former home of Japanes General Saito
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1946
1946
Film 'Madame Pimpernel' or 'Paris Underground' as it
was also
known. Produced and co-starred by Constance Bennett.
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1946
News report of Gracie flying into London
on her way to Greece for her final 3 Week ENSA tour.
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1947
30-Jul-47
Gracie's Working Party begins it's tours.
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OTHER TOURS FOR WHICH I HAVE NO DATES INCLUDED VISITS TO:
Tunis, Egypt, Rangoon, Rome, North Africa, Okinawa, Berlin, Dum
Dum,
Algiers, Sicily, New York, Calcutta, Naples, Kalyan [Nr.
Bombay], Manila
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Gracie believed that God had given her a
gift,
her voice, to use for as long as she was able.
She lived her life for others and her favorite prayer and inspiration was the prayer of St. Francis,
which is set out below.' |
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The Praye
r of St Francis'.
'Lord,
make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred - let me sow love.
Where there is injury - pardon.
Where
there is discord - unity.
Where there is doubt - faith.
Where there is error - truth.
Where there is despair - hope.
Where
there is sadness - joy.
Where there is darkness - light.
Oh,
Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled - as to console.
To
be understood - as to understand.
To be loved - as to love.
For
It is in giving - that we receive.
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