“We shall never surrender!” Winston Churchill on an ‘Iron Maiden’ poster at Crozet Pizza.
Bright Light in Darkest Hour
The Herculean Task of Saving Civilization
I have, myself, full confidence that if all do their duty, if nothing is neglected, and if the best arrangements are made, as they are being made, we shall prove ourselves once again able to defend our Island home, to ride out the storm of war, and to outlive the menace of tyranny, if necessary for years, if necessary alone.
At any rate, that is what we are going to try to do. That is the resolve of His Majesty’s Government-every man of them. That is the will of Parliament and the nation.
The British Empire and the French Republic, linked together in their cause and in their need, will defend to the death their native soil, aiding each other like good comrades to the utmost of their strength.
Even though large tracts of Europe and many old and famous States have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Gestapo and all the odious apparatus of Nazi rule, we shall not flag or fail.
We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France,
we shall fight on the seas and oceans,
we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be,
we shall fight on the beaches,
we shall fight on the landing grounds,
we shall fight in the fields and in the streets,
we shall fight in the hills;
We shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this Island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God’s good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old.” – Winston Churchill
This past weekend I saw ‘Darkest Hour,’ Joe Wright’s film about Winston Churchill in May of 1940 and his facing the challenge of Europe’s fall and the immanent threat of invasion faced by Great Britain at the beginning of World War II. It is a wonderfully inspiring story of a great and flawed man who was indeed the man history needed in a time so overwhelming. Gary Oldman is very convincing as Churchill. His rendition of the “Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat” speech to Parliament had me fully invested in the story.
You cannot reason with a tiger when your head is in its mouth” – another stirring quote by the great man is heard after much soul-searching by Churchill. A very human Churchill is rendered by Oldman, supported by Kristin Scott Thomas as Clementine Churchill and Lily James, Playing Churchill’s secretary Elizabeth Layton. The real Elizabeth Layton wrote the book ‘Mr. Churchill’s Secretary’ which she wrote after serving in that capacity. According to Ms. James: “Initially I started talking about the film because I was so excited about the prospect of working with Joe Wright. He’s someone I really looked up to and Gary Oldman as Churchill is an insanely brilliant thing. Then I started reading Elizabeth Layton’s book and I was so drawn to her and her experiences and this different perspective on Churchill, it was a much more intimate view of him from her eyes. She was an incredible woman, so dedicated and committed to Churchill. She was witnessing history unfold and was the first person to hear these speeches, so it was a real thrill.”
Though Miss Layton actually arrived later than the film depicts, she did indeed find her initial meeting of Churchill quite frustrating and really did mess up the spacing of the first document she typed for him. In fact he drove her from the room. She returned a few days later. Churchill initially was gruff and did not engage in pleasantries, but Miss Layton persisted and grew to admire the man. She drafted (and redrafted) his speeches and no doubt polished them. She and Clementine deserve place in history for their support of the very human leader who rose to face a Herculean task in fighting the Reich.
Elizabeth Layton Nel, Churchill's wartime secretary.
Elizabeth Layton Nel
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12:01AM GMT 16 Nov 2007
Elizabeth Nel, who has died aged 90, was the last surviving personal secretary to have worked for Winston Churchill during the Second World War. (read more)
