Do its damndest!: The phrase widely attributed to General Elles, the Commander of the Tank Corps, before the Battle of Cambrai. The Tank Corps Commander on that occasion is said to have issued this order: "England expects that every tank today will do its damndest." Nothing of the kind, however, was uttered by the General, and the text of his address to the Tank Corps (Special Order No.6) contains nothing to suggest the idea. Apparently the phrase was a newspaper correspondent's invention, taken up by the Press in England and made the most of.[1]
References / notes
- ↑ Edward Fraser and John Gibbons (1925). Soldier and Sailor Words and Phrases. Routledge, London p.79.
Compendium of the Great War.
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This compendium forms the central hub of words, phrases, people, and places relative to the Great War period of 1914–1918. These also include battles, political events, ships, trench slang, British and American service terms and expressions in everyday use, nicknames, sobriquets, the titles of British and Commonwealth Regiments and their origins, and also warfare in general. These words and phrases are contemporary with the war, which is reflected in the language used, some of which may seem derogatory by today's standards. Feel free to expand upon and improve this content.