▁During ▁the ▁First ▁World ▁War ▁he ▁saw ▁service ▁in ▁German ▁East ▁Africa ▁in ▁the ▁Royal ▁Army ▁Medical ▁Corps , ▁but ▁was ▁in val ided ▁out ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 8 , ▁and ▁no ▁longer ▁able ▁to ▁pract ise ▁medicine . ▁His ▁own ▁account ▁of ▁these ▁w art ime ▁events ▁is ▁given ▁in ▁his ▁book ▁March ing ▁on ▁T anga ; ▁pass ages ▁cens ored ▁from ▁that ▁book ▁were ▁later ▁cover t ly ▁used ▁in ▁his ▁novel ▁Jim ▁Red la ke . ▁ ▁Unable ▁to ▁work ▁as ▁a ▁doctor , ▁he ▁decided ▁to ▁dev ote ▁himself ▁to ▁his ▁writing , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 9 ▁he ▁began ▁the ▁first ▁of ▁his ▁Mer cian ▁nov els . ▁From ▁ 1 9 2 0 ▁the ▁couple ▁went ▁to ▁live ▁in ▁Cap ri ▁until ▁ 1 9 2 9 ▁but ▁also ▁travel led ▁widely , ▁including ▁tri ps ▁to ▁South ▁Africa , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁sum mers ▁in ▁the ▁Lake ▁District ▁of ▁England . ▁They ▁returned ▁to ▁live ▁in ▁England , ▁initially ▁in ▁the ▁Lake ▁District ▁as ▁neighb ours ▁of ▁fellow ▁novel ist ▁Hugh ▁Wal pole . ▁ ▁Here ▁they ▁lived ▁in ▁Est h wa ite ▁L odge , ▁a ▁country ▁house , ▁still ▁standing , ▁south ▁of ▁Haw ks head ▁on ▁the ▁west ▁side ▁of ▁Est h wa ite ▁Water . ▁Then , ▁from ▁ 1 9 3 2 , ▁they ▁settled ▁at ▁the ▁dil ap id ated ▁C ray com be ▁House , ▁Fl ad bury , ▁Wor c esters hire