A fit country for heroes...

Posted by Gary Martin on November 03, 1999

In Reply to: A fit country for heroes... posted by ESC on November 02, 1999

: : Where does the saying "a land fit for heroes" come from?". Who first said "lions led by donkeys" of the 1st World War"?

: "What is our task? To make Britain a fit country for heroes to live in." David Lloyd George (Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor) 1863-1945. Speech at Wolverhampton, Nov. 23, 1918, quoted in The Times, Nov. 25, 1918. (The Oxford Dictionary of Modern Quotations" by Tony Augarde.)

: Does anyone else remember the children's song, "Lloyd George knew my father; father knew Lloyd George..." To the tune of "Onward Christian Soldiers."

: I couldn't find "lions led by donkeys." But I really like the sentiment.

The lions were the British soldiery in WW1 and the
donkeys were the generals. I believe the sentiment
was first expressed by the German forces, who were
appalled by the slaughter at the Somme. I don't
know who the quotation originated from though.

Alan Clark, the recently-deceased British conservative
politian and historian wrote a book called "The Donkeys",
in which he puts the case against the top brass at length.

Yes, I remember the Lloyd George song. From what I do
recall that's all the lyrics there were - repeated over
and over.

Gary

• A fit country for heroes... Gary Martin 11/04/99