Lady Mary’s diary 1.1.1919

Went to village Fancy Dress Ball in hall. Met my friends, tradesmen and cook disguised beyond recognition. Danced Lancers with Mr Kit in uniform. Much amused. (public much pleased) Read précis for this last awful and wonderful year. Victory and Peace.

Jan 2nd 1919 To Mrs Pinney’s party at hall. Children of all ages from Mr Kit (75) with whom I danced Pas-de-quatre; some 50 of them, also Lady Peto, Pinney and her children. Gertrude in blue looking pretty, most of them in white w floating hair. Berlin threatened by Bolshivism “the Chickens indeed coming home to roost.”

Olive Harcourt’s diary 3.1.1919

In the common room before dinner, Southern was telling the Commandant he had seen a letter in the paper from a man in Bath saying Christ would come again soon. “If he came to Bath I should like to go there - perhaps I might touch the hem of his garment.” He was thinking about his poor leg, gone below the knee!

03.01.1919 Alfred Johnson, letter to Essie I have been playing football to-day the first time I have played in a match since the Artist days. I think all men with jobs with be demobilised fairly soon. They are demobilising 5000 a day now and that is soon to be nearly doubled.

[Johnson played football for the University of Manchester team where he studied classics in the early 1900s]

4th Jan 1919 Rain and snow.

This worst day of the winter I met old Dr Daniel (he has been in bed w. an influenza cold lately) I said “Oh Doctor are you wise to be out?” He replied with a cunning smile: My dear lady, If I stay indoors today, what shall I do when I am old ?” Dr D is 82 !

04.01.1919 Letter to from Artillery Lieutenant Alfred Johnson in Belgium to his wife Essie: It appears we are not off to Germany at least not for the present, which is rather disappointing

The Morning Post: Military Awards For services in France and Flanders A.F. Johnson, Military Cross

Tues 7th Jan 1919

Sailor Sidney Pomeroy came to see me: he was at Rosyth and Scapa Flow and saw the German Navy surrender. He helped search a big German warship, armed with a revolver and gas mask ready.

Olive Harcourt’s diary Jan 7th 1919

Men’s concert at Beaucroft Hospital. Mrs Smith went with us, fearful squash. They were dressed as Pierrots in white pyjamas, with paper pompoms and ruffs, Macken, Stubbs, Woodhead and Jacobs the best. The little play “The Area Bell” with Nurse Coggin.

Sidney Macken and Arthur Stubbs really good and amusing. We had a nice talk with them and Fred Woodhead on the stage afterwards.

Weds 8th Jan 1919 - Letter from Agnes Phillimore inviting me to Carn House for the opening of parliament. She writes: “I don’t know when it will be or how we are to dress. We intend going but there will be a great rush for places.”

[Mary's friend Agnes is wife of High Court Judge and Peer, Walter Phillimore and mother of Godfrey who had just been released from a German prisoner of war camp and wrote a book about his experiences.]

Letter from Alfred Johnson to Essie, 8.01.1919 on Bruxelles Palace Hotel headed paper. Brussels is certainly a very fine town. We have been to the galleries, with sculptures by Rodin...

Various fair ladies tried to lead us astray and Lee was quite alarmed but I rather enjoyed it.

Lady Mary’s diary Sat 11 Jan 1919

Small fancy dress party Doreen J’s, she in Egyptian dress, BVJ as cook. I took the great trouble of getting into my Queen Katherine of Aragon black velvet dress, tiara and veil. DVJ’s eyes gleaming green, excited. Supper and games

Olive Harcourt writes: 14 Jan 1919

Macken, Stubbs and Griffiths came to tea. A most delightful time. Each did his bit in entertaining and we had a tremendous talk about Theosophy and religion, each man possessing lofty ideas and much power and expression

Letter from Alfred Forbes Johnson to his wife Essie 15 January 1919

I have had quite a busy day to-day, a football match and coaching two fellows in German. March is educational officer and has all sorts of schemes on. He has started a course of lectures once a week to the men and I have let myself in for one on the stars.

A sketch of a First World War Land Girl 'carrying on'. https://t.co/Ry7Vz7BqsY pic.twitter.com/4zijixkaZk

— Women's Land Army (@WomensLandArmy) January 11, 2019

Lady Mary’s diary: Jan 16th 1919

To Maiden Newton to meet Robert. He looking much better. Fine walk with him thro’ Parnham, we sheltered in stable, up hill to Netherbury - saw the splendid golden sunset and talked about the Victory, the family, little Lorna. A capital good hour. Rt in little dressing room: quite comfortable. So nice to have him sitting here. My heart lightened.

Pictures from the touring production Escaping the Storm, which uses some of our research from Voices from 1918. Jane McKell plays the older Marie Stopes.

Dr Stopes, I presume ? @JaneMckell as Marie Stopes in their new touring production Escaping the Storm by @AsOneTheatre @DorchesterArts last night. Returns to Dorset Feb 14 @weypavilion pic.twitter.com/c6ZaDCBc5c

— Alastair Nisbet (@alastair) 17 January 2019

16th Jan 1919 Olive Harcourt writes:

Florence, May and I went to Beaucroft [Red Cross Hospital in Wimborne]. I read many hands and it was most amusing. I was able to tell many events correctly - Nurse Sansom in particular.

Lady Mary’s diary: Friday 17th January 1919

Had a fine walk with Robert, the dark lane, Warren Hide. The view as beautiful and more strange than on a Summer day: 11 to 1. Have not been up there for months.

Lady Mary’s diary: Saturday 18th January 1919

Robert returned to Weymouth, taking with him some London clothes - an excellent sign. His appearance altered, moves briskly, he is much better: brought in writing things and worked a lot at something.

He has now been home about 19 months. I think his worst moments were at Seatown in June. He speaks of attending opening of Parliament of finding a house or flat in town!

I drove with him to Maiden Newton & on the ridge on my return, I met the Cattistock hounds, delightful sight, the master Mr Milson a daughter and two whips in pink, little Loo sitting on my lap barking furiously. Splendid sunset.

Olive Harcourt’s diary, 21st January 1919

Miss Grey concert [at Red Cross Beaucroft Hospital]. I sang Last Rose of Summer, Il Rosegruol & When Love is Kind. They liked the Nightingale best. Afterwards Macken reciterd for us, most enjoyable

Lady Mary’s diary: Tuesday 21st January 1919

At the end of last month, Ambrose Pinney wrote “I am quite certain the if the Huns were to attack tomorrow and we were ordered up to “take them on” there would be an extraordinary wave of cheerfullness over the whole BEF”

Jan 22nd 1919 Three woodcock from E. To Mrs Hann about daughter Constance’s VAD letters from Boulogne: she poor thing heartbroken by son Cecil’s death: told me long interesting story of her clever brothers. Seemed so glad to pour out

25.01.1919 Letter to from Artillery Lieutenant Alfred Johnson to his wife Essie:

I don't know what I got the MC for. The Major put my name in last September for things in general I think. That is all I know. We went to Dinant yesterday.

We have demobilised a good many men, sent about 40 away to heavy batteries to help with the horses.

Lady Mary’s reflections on 1918 in her 1919 diary

I am too near it at present to estimate what we have lost and gained by the Great War. We know that a new world has opened. There is not one of us that has not suffered agonies. All our soldiers - in the family - have returned except dear and clever James Usborne. His body lies near Arras.

I am very nearly ashamed but not quite ashamed of the way I have behaved. I said to myself during the first terrible months August 1914 - January 1915 and during the last German advance March 21 to July 18 “There is nothing you will regret so deeply as to have thought that England will not be Victorious - keep out of that whatever happens” and I did.

This year (1919) I have entered my 70th year, the limit - and must stand close up to the Golden Gates. I have as it were walked twice through all the emotions. Once in myself and once in my children. I don’t want to have to go through it again in my grandchildren.

What I want: the wide smooth sea, the rapture of Spring, the sunset, light on the snow, the starry heavens, the beautific vision...

The weeks drag on as Lieutenant Alfred Forbes Johnson waits to be demobbed - and he worries about his family and going back to his job at the British Museum.

He writes: “I found I could not sleep and began to think of nasty things in the war, so to stop that I tried to recollect early events with you.”

Then in March 1919 “There has been some good news since I wrote last. Officers who were in the Army in 1914 and who do not wish to stay on, are now to be released. I am under that, so it is only a matter of waiting for our allotment.”

The rest of his battery move on to Cologne and Bonn and have a good time going to concerts

Finally... a telegram from to his wife Essie on 17 April 1919 Arriving Dover today - home tonight