Elizabeth Nel

Who was Elizabeth Nel?

Elizabeth Nel was a personal secretary to Winston Churchill from 1941-45.

Born as Elizabeth Layton on 14 June 1917 in Suffolk., she was the last surviving personal secretary to have worked for Churchill during World War II. A new edition of her book, Winston Churchill By His Personal Secretary Elizabeth Nel, was completed shortly before her death in 2007, at the age of 90.

In recent years, she was invited back to London on several occasions, including in 1990 for the 50th anniversary of Churchill becoming prime minister. She also came back in 2005 to join the Queen for the opening of the Churchill museum in the underground war rooms, beneath what is now the Treasury on Horse Guards Road.

Her memoir was originally known as Mr Churchill's Secretary. One excerpt reads: "Sometimes [while dictating a letter] his voice would become thick with emotion, and occasionally a tear would run down his cheek. As inspiration came to him, he would gesture with his hands, just as one knew he would be doing when he delivered his speech, and the sentences would roll out with so much feeling that one died with the soldiers, toiled with the workers, hated the enemy, strained for victory ... [T]hat great man - who could at any time be impatient, kind, irritable, crushing, generous, inspiring, difficult, alarming, amusing, unpredictable, considerate, seemingly impossible to please, charming, demanding, inconsiderate, quick to anger and quick to forgive - was unforgettable. One loved him with a deep devotion. Difficult to work for - yes, mostly; loveable - always; amusing - without fail."