From: Ronald Gillen (gillen@NCONNECT.NET)
Date: Sat Apr 10 1999 - 06:28:09 PDT
Jeanne S wrote: > > Does anyone remember this one; > > "Dear Lady Astor, you think you know a lot standing on that platform and > talkin' tommy rot you're England's sweetheart and her pride we think your > mouth's too bloody wide that's from your D-Day Dodgers in sunny Italy." > > This satire is about one of the great gaffes of World War II. England's Lady > Astor, while making a speech in Parliament after the Invasion of Normandy, > referred to the British 8th Army (and indirectly to their American and > Canadian allies) as "D-Day dodgers", insinuating that they had skipped the > high profile invasion for light duty in Italy. The fact is that troops in the > Italian campaign saw some of the bloodiest fighting of the war and they took > exception to her ill-considered comment with the words of this song which > they set to the tune of the then popular "Lily Marlene". The sharp tongued > Astor met her match in several encounters with Winston Churchill. On one > occasion she proclaimed, "Why, Sir Churchill, you are drunk!" Churchill > replied, "And you are ugly, but I shall be sober in the morning". > > (the post war baby boomer who's fascinated by this history ;o) ============================================================================= Jeanne, Post some more of Wins ton's quotes and stories, I love 'em..... Regards ..... Ron Gillen