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

Lady Mary died in her 80th year in 1930 and is laid to rest in the cemetery in Beaminster - surrounded by many of the friends and family she writes about in her diary.