The First World War was an important period in the life of the fourth Earl Fortescue, who as the Lord Lieutenant of Devon played a significant role in the county's war effort. From the vantage point of Lord Lieutenant, Fortescue was an unparalleled observer of the county during the war years and compiled a large archive of materials relating to his wartime activities. This book reveals how Fortescue referred to his memories from the war and consulted with his diaries and his private papers to help him construct a retrospective account of his experiences as the county's Lord Lieutenant from 1914 to 1918. By presenting a selection of records from the Fortescue of Castle Hill archive, these documents reveal the priorities, trials and tribulations of a member of the county's local elite during the Great War. In addition, the retrospective account and Earl Fortescue's diaries provide a personal chronicle of his experiences of the First World War as well as those of other members of the Fortescue family including Lady Fortescue and their sons, Viscount Ebrington and Denzil Fortescue. As a result, these documents impart a nuanced, insightful and illuminating portrait of the fourth Earl Fortescue and the Fortescue family from 1914 to 1918. This is a unique volume that considers the First World War on a local level primarily through the perspective and records of the Lord Lieutenant of a county.