Eleanor keeps the legacy of WWII alive

A University of Leeds student played a key role in the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

Eleanor Dufton, volunteer guide for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), joined Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at the launch of the Lighting their Legacy Commission at Horse Guards Parade.

The ceremony involves lighting a torch in the Capital which then tours the country before going to Normandy.

Following a procession that included the Prime Minister and veterans, Eleanor was handed the torch as a representative of the country’s youth who will continue to honor the fallen.

I didn’t realize until later what a big deal it all was. I was so excited to have the opportunity.

“I was a little nervous, but I was more worried about burning someone with the torch,” Eleanor said.

“It was very difficult and I found it challenging to hold it at the same time as reading my speech where I emphasized how important it was to have that connection with the veterans who won’t be here forever. I also had to shout for everyone to hear and that wasn’t easy either!”

On meeting the Prime Minister Eleanor said: “He seemed really nice and interested. I didn’t realize until later what a big deal it all was. I was so excited to have the opportunity.”

Eleanor then attended a private reception on HMS Belfast where she met Claire Horton, Director General of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and Olympian Dame Kelly Holmes (pictured below).

She was interviewed by crews for national television and then filmed for a video to be shown in schools across the UK as part of the legacy programme.

“I know how vital it is to keep the memory of these meaningful moments alive,” said Eleanor.

Now in her final year at university, studying French and Spanish, Eleanor has always had a fascination for history.

She said: “I did languages ​​and history and chose to come to Leeds because I liked the flexibility the university offered in providing modules that allowed me to combine my passion for all these subjects.”

She learned about D-Day at school and went on to discover more about the commemoration’s legacy at Leeds through Professor Nina Wardleworth, professor of French Global Studies and expert on the Second World War and the French empire.

It was Nina who pointed her to the tour program with CWGC, for which Nina is a volunteer speaker herself.

I know she will inspire her generation to learn about these important moments in our shared European and global history.

Nina said: “Eleanor is a brilliant researcher and linguist who has worked hard to make her historical knowledge attractive and accessible to a wider range of audiences around the world.

“I am pleased and proud that her passion has been recognized through this prestigious role for the CWGC. I know she will inspire her generation to learn about these important moments in our shared European and global history.”

Eleanor spent 18 months in France and Spain, four of which included an internship at the Mont Valérien Memorial on the outskirts of Paris – one of the country’s most important memorial sites – and also at the CWGC’s Thiepval Memorial on the Somme , where he guided visitors from Great Britain and the Commonwealth.

Eleanor has since returned to France to take up a senior guide role at Bayeux and Renville cemeteries.


Eleanor became a Laidlaw Fellow in her first year and spent six weeks researching how the French Caribbean community was involved in internal resistance as part of her research internship with Nina.

Now, as her final year draws to a close, she is seeking sponsorship to be able to do a Masters at Leeds commemorating the contribution of French Caribbean veterans to the French war effort during the Second World War.

The commission began a five-year program to address historical inequalities in the commemoration of world wars, to ensure that all who died are remembered equally.

Eleanor said: “The history that was taught in post-war Britain did not recognize those forces in the Empire who fought in the Second World War, but this is changing.”

Additional Information

Please contact Jane Lewis in the University of Leeds press office.