Poet and historical novelist Robert Graves lived in Galmpton throughout World War Two

Significant people who lived with in Torbay in the 20th century, not always famous, by Ian Handford, president of Torbay Civic Society. This week, 10: Robert Ranke Graves

Poet and writer of historical novels although wounded in the First World War, Robert Ranke Graves would continue writing while, throughout the duration of the Second World War, he lived in Galmpton, Torbay.

Robert was the oldest of five children born at Wimbledon in July 1895 to Elizabeth Sophie, known as Amy, von Ranke, second wife to Alfred Percival Graves.

Robert was sent to six preparatory schools before entering St John's College, Oxford, as the First World War started.

In appreciating that some men achieved automatic commission, when reporting to his nearest recruiting depot at Wrexham, Robert quickly announced to the adjacent he was just about to attend Officer Training Corps at Charterhouse which earned him automatic commission to the Royal Welch Fusiliers.

His mother later commented: "Our race has gone mad - he is already a hero."

As a captain in the fusiliers, he was mentioned twice in despatches before being wounded and returning to Oxford to convalesce.

By 1918, he had married Annie Mary Pryde Nicholson, known as Nancy, and together they had a grocery shop, strangely, in the garden of the poet John Masefield.

In attending St John's College, Robert became convinced his future lay as a Georgian poet and, in 1922, a moving piece heralded a turning point - 'I'd die for you, or you for me, So furious is our jealousy, And if you doubt this, Kill me outright, lest I kill you'.

By 1926 he went to Egypt to be appointed professor of English at Cairo University.

Marriage produced four children although on returning home in 1927, a separation came. Robert now fled Britain to go to Deya on Majorca and there met the American poet Laura Riding and 'evolved a theory of pure, non-literary and integral poetry' before in 1929 his most famous work 'Goodbye to All That' was published.

By now an accepted literal giant Robert said: "I write poems for poets, and satires or grotesques for wits. For people in general I write prose, and am content that they should be unaware that I do anything else."

The anything else - historical novels, plays, ordinary novels and fictional books. He even won the James Tait Black Memorial prize for 'I Claudius' before being given the Hawthornden prize in 1934.

His 'wild love affair' with Laura could not last and the Spanish Civil War forced them off the island to return to London and then France and, in 1938, Laura left him for another.

Returning home Robert now met Beryl Hodge, daughter of Sir Harry Pritchard and wife of the poet Alan Hodge. A further prize - the Femina-Vie-Heureuse award for his novel 'Count Belisarius' was given in 1939 before he won Beryl, who left her husband for him.

They came to live at Vale House, Galmpton, and stayed throughout the Second World War.

William was born at Galmpton while Robert's book 'I Claudius' was being used as a codebook during the war, resulting in his distant relative Count von Stauffenberg being shot - a coup against Hitler had failed in 1944.

Robert lost a son in Burma and longed to return to Deya, which took him eight months to arrange. He chartered a plane and they left on May 15, arriving at Deya, where now they remained for the rest of their lives.

They married in 1950 and Beryl produced three more children, Tomas, the last, in 1953.

Now after three abortive operations to try and correct a botched nasal operation done in 1916, Robert always had breathing difficulties.

Dozens of poems, 43 fictional books, novels and ten translations were produced until the a final TV interview came in 1976 after which little of note was written and Robert died at his home at Deya on December 7, 1985.

In conjunction with the owners of Vale House and the Manor Inn, Galmpton, Torbay Civic Society erected a blue plaque at Vale House in 2003 to honour Robert Ranke Graves.

A copy of Torbay Civic Society's Robert Graves pamphlet is available by sending two first class stamps and a small stamped addressed envelopes to Torbay Civic Society, Suite 4, The Business Centre, 1 Palace Avenue Paignton TQ3 3HA.

Ian's comment: This incredible wordsmith achieved a professorship of poetry twice during 1958 and 1965.

Next week: Elizabeth Julia Astell