I'd say the Lost Generation were the true heroes of Britain, the sacrifice of that generation is unparalleled, althougth the G.I Generation also rised to the same challenge again.

The under-achievers have to be the silent generation. They watched as the greatest empire the world has ever known was reduced to little more than a backwards island while former collonies and the countries we had defeated moved ahead of us. It has been the 13th Generation - or Generation X - that has begun to put this country back on the map.

What ever happened to the days of Brunel ? The Great Exhibition ? The Spitfire ?
Our greatest achievement in engineering or architecture since might well be the gurkin.