Lizzie Ward's War Efforts

December 8, 2010 1:07 PM

During the first world war, thousands of horses were drafted into the War Effort and sent to the Front. Faced with a horse shortage, the Thomas Ward steelworks in Sheffield acquired an elephant and her handler from a passing circus. Lizzie Ward worked at Thomas Ward's for a number of years, getting up to various pranks before she retired with sore feet.
posted by emilyw (6 comments total)

I don't really have anything to say, except that I like that elephant.
posted by Evangeline at 1:47 PM on December 8, 2010

Seems like an appropriate place to recommend the play War Horse. I've not read the book, but the puppets blew me away when I went to see it.
posted by ComfySofa at 1:53 PM on December 8, 2010

One of the first facts I learned about Sheffield (I went to uni there) is that, like Rome, it's built on seven hills... I hope Lizzie didn't have too hard a time on it.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 3:30 PM on December 8, 2010

The British never heard of Hannibal? So much for that vaunted classical education.

Or perhaps she was a conshie.

It was either a Waugh novel or Nancy Mitford where one of the upper class twit characters recalls how their horses were to be requisitioned and the owner thought that so outrageous that he (she?) had them shot instead.
posted by IndigoJones at 5:35 PM on December 8, 2010

Q: Where's my elephant?

A: Saving the world.
posted by darlingmagpie at 7:59 PM on December 8, 2010 [1 favorite]

So what you're saying is that their draft horses... (puts on blinders) were draft horses.

(NEEEEIIIIIGHHHHHH)
posted by No-sword at 9:04 PM on December 8, 2010 [2 favorites]