Before such novelty of onslaught the British mind had breathless moments of feeling itself stupid and incapably aghast.

But after its first deep draughts of the cup of staggering the nation braced up a really muscular back and stood upon hard, stout legs and firm feet, immovable and fixed on solid British earth.
Incompetent raw troops gathered from fields, shops and desks, half trained, half clad, half armed, according to pessimistic report, fared forth across the narrow Channel and did strangely competent things--this being man's way when in dire moments needs must be.

Riff-raff exalted itself and also died competently enough.

The apparently aimless male offspring of the so-called useless rich and great died competently enough with the rest.

The Roll of Honour raked fore and aft.