As soon as Parliament ended for the summer in July of 1939, Lord Astor, taking Arthur the valet and Mr Rogers the first chauffeur, went with Mr Harold Macmillan MP in the Rolls to the Isle of Jura for deer stalking and fishing. Lady Astor, who did not like the house in Scotland, went to Rest Harrow in Sandwich, Kent with Rose her maid where she would go for relaxation and to play some golfing. I also went with Mr Lee, the second chauffeur, the second footman and some of the kitchen staff.

Arthur, the second chauffeur, told me how on one occasion Lady Astor decided to drive the car and told him that he should be honoured to be driven by an MP. He replied that he did not think much of her driving and that she aught to be prosecuted. Arthur had been a prisoner of war in North Germany during World War one and had had to exist on a diet of turnips. He said that where he was there were nothing but women, children and old men and that they also were nearly starving.

Lady Dorothy Macmillan and her son Maurice, Lord Lothian, and Mr Michael and Mr Jackie Astor came as guests at the start and a few other people came later. Mr Michael Astor had been sent down from Oxford for failing to do enough work. Before he went to Scotland, Lord Astor had said that Mr Michael was to see him in his study on the Saturday at 10.00 a.m. When Mr Michael did not appear I was sent to find out where he was and when I returned to say that he was still in his bed asleep’ I was then instructed by Lord Astor to get him out of bed and get him to the study. I therefore pulled the bedclothes off Mr Michael and dragged him out of bed; he was about the same size as I. Having then put his slippers and dressing on, I then dragged him downstairs. I knocked on the door of the study and announced “Lord Astor, Mr Michael”. I could hear Lady Astor inside the study saying “Waldorf, you must tell him that he must do something with his life!”

Lord Lothian told the people at dinner that he had visited the French Prime Minister for a short trip and he said that the French Prime Minister was absolutely sure that the war will happen soon. Lord Lothian was the Ambassador for the United Kingdom to the United States. Mr Jackie Astor asked Lord Lothian whether if there was a war that he could get him a job at the embassy in Washington but Lord Lothian replied that he was not yet sufficiently educated for such a job.

Rest Harrow faced the sea and was next to a pebble beach and life was pleasant and not too difficult and I had the chance to swim in the sea. The week before the war started though, after I had been swimming and while I was asleep on the beach, the weather changed and had become quite chilly. Before long I became ill with a chill in one of my kidneys and had a temperature of 104° and had to go to bed. Lady Astor told Mr Lee that she would pray for me but he just replied that he did not want any of that Christian Science nonsense and that a proper doctor must be got. He pointed out to Lady Astor that if I should die without a doctor attending then it would get in the press. The local doctor came to see me and he ordered ‘M and D’ pills that were new in those days. He seemed to discuss my condition with Lady Astor rather than me, which seemed strange as I was ill and she was well. The doctor asked Mr Lee if it was true that Lady Astor bought beer and then poured it down the sink, Mr Lee said it was not and rebuked the doctor for believing such stories. Mr Lee said that a supply of alcoholic drinks was always kept for guests although Lord and Lady Astor did not drink themselves and people, who became the worst for alcohol, while at Cliveden, would not be invited again. Mr Lee also told the doctor that people who are in the public gaze are often lied about.

Lady Astor told Mr Lee to try to get me into a hospital but none would have me despite the influence of her name. The local authority told Lady Astor that all the hospitals were trying to send everyone home as soon as possible because of the threat of war. Lady Astor then got a nurse, not a Christian scientist, to come in and look after me. Lady Astor also used to visit me each morning and evening and we would discuss religion and politics. She spoke about Jesus Christ as if she knew him personally. She told me that if everyone went to Jesus Christ there would never be any war, killing, illness, pain etc. in the world. Sometimes she spoke above my head. All I wanted to do was to get better. I became weak and very wet and she told the housemaid to change the sheets. She also got a nun to wash me once a day. When I saw Lady Astor after I became a little better, I asked her why Mr Arthur Greenwood was not the leader of the Labour Party instead of Mr Atlee. She told me that the practice in Parliament is not to tell stories outside of the House of Commons but she said me that Mr Greenwood is an alcoholic. Not only could he be the worst for drink in the evening but sometimes by lunchtime. She considered that he would be a must unsuitable leader although she described Mr Atlee as being ‘arid’. She considered Sir Stafford Cripps to be a fine gentleman. I also discussed many other members of the House of Commons. I told her that I thought Hitler is mad and that I felt sure that there would be a war. She expressed the view that even Hitler would not be as mad as to go to war.

On Saturday, 2nd September 1939 at 6 a.m. the two housemaids heard on the radio news that Germany had invaded Poland. Nelly the second maid, an ignorant girl, went straight into Lady Astor’s bedroom and told her “old Hitler has started the war my Lady”. Lady Astor rebuked her for coming straight into her room but then asked her to get Rose, her lady’s maid, to come to her room as soon as possible. Rose came in her dressing gown and they then waited for the next news. They found it was true that Germany had attacked Poland, so Lady Astor got up and dressed in parliamentary clothes. After breakfast she ordered her car and gave orders to Mr Lee for a change of policy. In the afternoon, in the House of Commons, she gave a suitable speech on the effect of war on young girls; loose living as a result, and the efforts necessary to reduce the damage. I thought that her speech was thoughtful and reasonable when I read it in the Sunday paper.

If the war hadn’t happened or had happened later on then the staff at Rest Harrow, Kent would have moved to 3 Elliot Place, Plymouth for her parliamentary base. When Lady Astor went down to Plymouth by train she would always go and shake hands with the driver and therefore the driver had to have washed his hands before. Rose told me that when Lady Astor went around her constituency it was her practice to come with £50 in £1 notes and come back having given it all away. She also gave blankets to families who had just had a new baby. The people in Plymouth thought she was the ‘cat’s whiskers’. Lady Astor came to say goodbye to me, which I greatly appreciated, wished me well and soon she was away.

Mr Lee told me that they were going back to London and I was to go back to London when I was better. In the afternoon all the staff from London had to go back to London leaving only the two housemaids and me. It was very strange and funny – something like a cemetery. On Sunday morning the head housemaid loaned me the wireless and we heard the tragic news of war at 11:00am from Neville Chamberlain, the Prime Minister. For the next three days all the wireless programmes was news and lots and lots of organ music. After a week or so I left Kent for London and then went to my Parents’ house in Kingsclear, Hampshire to recover from my illness. While I was there I received my health card, a pay cheque and the sack with a letter of thanks for my service but stating that because of the war the Astors would be reducing the number of staff.