 After his wife's death in 1971, Tolkien remembered,

This incident inspired the account of the meeting of Beren and Lúthien.On 16 July 1919 Tolkien was officially demobilized, at Fovant, on Salisbury Plain, with a temporary disability pension.On 3 November 1920, Tolkien was demobilized and left the army, retaining his rank of lieutenant.