"Lawrence / Chapman Of Arabia" by me

Join in here with our very own Bootle Chatterbox...
User avatar
ALAMO2008
Posts: 1012
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2015 2:31 pm
Location: Aberystwyth

In 1962 while lying in, on a Sunday Morning, listening to "Two Way Family Favourites" downstairs at home as a lazy kid.
I heard the most unusual Movie Theme tune by Maurice Jarre (Father of Jean Michael Jarre) being played from the New Epic War Movie =
"Lawrence of Arabia"
I went to see the Movie and was blown away by the Photography, Music and Action.
I later learnt the Turks put a Bounty on his head "Dead or Alive" of One Million in Gold.
He had a Personal Bodyguard of over 90 Arabs of which nearly 60 died in his Service.
Was in awe of the Character "Lawrence" but was confused when he mentioned in the Film that his Father was =
Sir Thomas Chapman - the same Surname as mine?
I got a Biography out of Warwick Bolam School Library on "Lawrence of Arabia"
and so commenced an interest over the last 50 odd years in this Character.
I now have over 100 Books about his life and the Arabian WW1 Campaign.

One incident I like..... is reported to have happened in 1919 at the Paris Peace Conference at Versailles at a time his Press fame was spreading.
A jealous General, tried to bring him down a peg or two by bawling at him at a meeting:-
" By God Sir you are not a proper soldier !"
To which Lawrence replied:-
" That may be so, General, but this I do know.
If I had an Army and you had an Army,
I know for sure, which one of us would be captured first !"

Terence Rattigan wrote a play called "Ross" about Lawrence's first enlistment after the war as an ordinary Aircraftman.
One scene is meant to be based on a true event, when Lawrence returned to barracks late, from being on leave.
The OIC not knowing his true identity, demanded to know why he was late.
To which Lawrence replied, he was dining with friends up in London.
The OIC demanded to know who was so important,that they made him so late.?
To which Lawrence replied:- Winston Churchill, Lady Astor, George Bernard Shaw and the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The OIC put him on a charge for being insolent and lying.
A few days later the Press exposed the truth of a famous Army Col. hiding in the Ranks of the local RAF base and the OIC then realised the truth.

I joined the T E Lawrence Society and Members from America, Canada, South Africa, Australia,
New Zealand, Japan, Sweden, Israel and all over Europe,
meet every Two years at St John's College, Oxford in Mid September
to receive hourly lectures over the 3 day weekend there, and buy and swap books.

For those who wondered about my Avatar Icon linked to my site username on Bootlehistory.
Its a photo, of a Sculptured model, shown at an Oxford Symposium a few years ago,
Sculptured at her home in 1921 by Lady Kennet (Widow of Scott of the Antarctic)
when Lawrence sat for her, at the height of his Fame.
He left behind his Dagger and Arab Robes
which her Son Slimbridge Ornithologist - Peter Scott
grew up running around their home dressed in the Arab robes and dagger.

These were sold at Auction in 2015 at Christies for £122,500 for the Dagger and £12,500 for the Robes.

A copy of Lawrences 1922 subscriber edition of "Seven Pillars of Wisdom, a Triumph "
which he presented to Gen.Allenby sold for £67,000
and one of the Brough Superior Motorbikes once owned by Lawrence sold for £147,000 at Bonhams.

When Lawrence knew Allenby, he probably never knew the Generals Wife = Edith, had the maiden name "Chapman" and their families, may well have been linked by marriage.
A Wax Image of "Lawrence of Arabia" appears on the Album cover of The Beatles - "Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band" he is just to the right behind George Harrison

At this years Symposium in Oxford 21st Sept 2018
I was able to distribute copies of my recent Article published that weekend by Irish weekly magazine =
"Irelands Own"
- entitled = "Chapman Of Arabia"
the first draft ran to over 3000 words, but they only published articles of 1500 words,
they finally settled for 1600, but I had to leave out so much of interest, to achieve that.

Here are the two pages from Issue of 21st Sept 2018


Image


Image
User avatar
Invicta
Posts: 2749
Joined: Wed Sep 02, 2015 6:46 pm
Location: Garden of England

Very interesting Al, well done. Mr Clarkson would be proud of you. :D Ken
User avatar
ALAMO2008
Posts: 1012
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2015 2:31 pm
Location: Aberystwyth

Mr. Clarkson, our English/English Literature Teacher, used to cane me, for missing out Commas,
So, if in my article above, you see an abundance of ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Commas
it's because, I learnt to put them, everywhere!!!!,,,,,

"Not a lot of people people, know that !"

He may have been prouder,
if I had written the whole article in "Latin",
that he taught me privately, in His Lunch Hour !
User avatar
Invicta
Posts: 2749
Joined: Wed Sep 02, 2015 6:46 pm
Location: Garden of England

Never knew he did that Al but I recall him playing the cello in the library at lunchtime.
He made me head librarian in my 5th year, it was handy during the Winter. I had to tell the kids to be quiet whilst he was playing :lol: Ken
User avatar
ALAMO2008
Posts: 1012
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2015 2:31 pm
Location: Aberystwyth

Forgot to Mention, his Headstone at Moreton Cemetery Dorset shows. him as T E Lawrence with religious quotes around was erected by his Mother after she came back from China with his Elder Brother Bob where they worked as Missionaries 1920 to 1935 they arrived after his Funeral. Lawrence renounced Religion after WW1 and renounced the Name Lawrence in his Deed Poll Declaration Name change to T E Shaw legally in 1927
henry
Posts: 1869
Joined: Tue Mar 21, 2006 6:45 pm

Lawrence of Arabia film doesn't have any women in it All the roles are male
HENRY BORN FLORIDA STREET OFF STRAND ROAD
WatsonTommy
Posts: 293
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2007 7:48 pm

THATS WHY IT WAS A GREAT MOVIE HENRY no woman it was a mans movie :D
User avatar
ALAMO2008
Posts: 1012
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2015 2:31 pm
Location: Aberystwyth

henry wrote:Lawrence of Arabia film doesn't have any women in it All the roles are male
I have used this fact many times over the years but am not sure whether it actually factually correct.

There are no Women/Woman speaking parts or appearing in a main scene agreed.

However, there is a shot as the Arab Army are leaving camp at Wadi Rumm to go off to battle.
Seated in the foreground are a group of Women all dressed in black, singing and wailing a lament in farewell to their menfolk in the background of the shot.
Whether David Lean had men dressed as women in black with a female singing voice over is not known.
"Not a lot of people know that !"
Shelagh
Posts: 1873
Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2015 4:40 pm

Thanks Alamo, enjoyed the read :)
Husband also read many books about the life of T E Lawrence - interesting character!!
Congratulations on getting article published :wink:
graham01
Posts: 616
Joined: Thu Feb 19, 2009 10:23 pm

great post,loved it,
origin waterloo.present and future bootle.
User avatar
BOBHAMO
Posts: 5930
Joined: Sat Aug 04, 2007 12:20 pm
Location: BIG CITY

i
Last edited by BOBHAMO on Thu Nov 01, 2018 11:18 am, edited 1 time in total.
bootle born altcar road
Matt
Posts: 1198
Joined: Tue Oct 08, 2013 6:02 pm
Location: vancouver island

What little is left of the Turkish fort in Aqaba after Lawrence's Arab Army retook
Aqaba and the RN shelled it.
Image
Image
Image
Matt
User avatar
ALAMO2008
Posts: 1012
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2015 2:31 pm
Location: Aberystwyth

Leslie Howard was considered originally for the part as Lawrence.
Dirk Bogarde wanted the Role.
Albert Finney had a screen test but was deemed not right.
Hollywood producers believe it or not wanted Marlon Brando to play the role but he had just signed to make "Mutiny on the Bounty" and was committed for the next year or two.
It was Hollywood actress Katherine Hepburn that finally came up trumps with a suggestion.
She was in London had a evening out with her friend Hollywood Producer Sam Speigel and over the meal he expressed his despair over finding someone for the role.
She suggested an actor she had seen in a play in London the night before.
The play was "The Long the Short and the Tall" with fairly unknown actor = Peter O'Toole
The rest is History.
User avatar
filsgreen
Posts: 3392
Joined: Sun May 12, 2013 8:28 am

Your article piqued my interest in him, so I'm watching this documentary at the moment.

https://youtu.be/rNumspRA8k4

I saw Lawrence of Arabia in the Odeon when it came out, I must have been about seven or eight. I suppose a lot of it went over my head, but the theme tune has always stuck with me, especially the Stanley Black version.

https://youtu.be/njLVoxznOQI

I think I'll buy it on blu ray, the format should highlight the cinematography. Thanks for posting Alan.
philrob
Posts: 604
Joined: Mon Nov 09, 2009 2:04 pm
Location: Western Australia

Alamo - Great original post - most interesting. :D :D

Great comments from everybody else - fascinating to read about some of connections with Lawrence.
Philrob

Western Australia
User avatar
Bonesy
Posts: 3454
Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2008 2:05 pm
Location: Lydiate

Excellent post Al. Really interesting thanks for posting.
Al, I think we were in the same year in Warwick Bolam and I remember seeing your name on Friends Reunited years ago.


Keith
User avatar
ALAMO2008
Posts: 1012
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2015 2:31 pm
Location: Aberystwyth

Bonesy wrote:Excellent post Al. Really interesting thanks for posting.
Al, I think we were in the same year in Warwick Bolam and I remember seeing your name on Friends Reunited years ago.


Keith

Hi Keith
Was at Warwick Bolam Sept 1961 to July 1967 in the Arts class each year.
Lived in Randall Drive off Sterrix Lane went to the Primary School Sterrix till July 1961
Both schools now demolished sadly.
And after last Parent died at Randall Dr in 2012 no longer visit that area anymore.
User avatar
Bonesy
Posts: 3454
Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2008 2:05 pm
Location: Lydiate

ALAMO2008 wrote:
Bonesy wrote:Excellent post Al. Really interesting thanks for posting.
Al, I think we were in the same year in Warwick Bolam and I remember seeing your name on Friends Reunited years ago.


Keith

Hi Keith
Was at Warwick Bolam Sept 1961 to July 1967 in the Arts class each year.
Lived in Randall Drive off Sterrix Lane went to the Primary School Sterrix till July 1961
Both schools now demolished sadly.
And after last Parent died at Randall Dr in 2012 no longer visit that area anymore.
Me, wrong again.
I was at Warwick 1965-69 and prior to that also at Sterrix Primary 1958-65 Mrs Jones, Headteacher, Mr Tunstall, Mr Harper and the gorgeous Miss Sainty.
Lived in Mack Grove until Nov 1973 when we got married.

Keith
User avatar
Invicta
Posts: 2749
Joined: Wed Sep 02, 2015 6:46 pm
Location: Garden of England

All the best Ford boys followed that route :D Ken
User avatar
Bonesy
Posts: 3454
Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2008 2:05 pm
Location: Lydiate

Cus :D :D :D :wink:


Keith
User avatar
ALAMO2008
Posts: 1012
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2015 2:31 pm
Location: Aberystwyth

Shelagh wrote:Thanks Alamo, enjoyed the read :)
Husband also read many books about the life of T E Lawrence - interesting character!!
Congratulations on getting article published :wink:
Thanks

I got paid £50 for the Article plus a free copy of that weeks magazine.

As I said I had to leave out so much of interest on this man to achieve 1600 words

As a few people seem to enjoyed the info in this topic, I thought I might add every few days more snippets of interest regarding him that impress a few.
User avatar
ALAMO2008
Posts: 1012
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2015 2:31 pm
Location: Aberystwyth

Here goes.... a series of posts with hopefully some facts everyone finds interesting

If you ever go on a Tour/holiday to Jordan , some guides will show you Seven peaks in Wadi Rumm valley and claim Lawrence named his book " Seven Pillars of Wisdom" after them.

This is NOT true.

In 1911 Six years before being there in 1917 during the War.
He decided to write a Book while excavating on an archeology dig in Syria
about the SEVEN Cities of the Ancient World :
Constantinople, Cairo, Smyrna, Aleppo, Jerusalem, Urfa, Damascus.

He chose his quote from the book. of Psalms
Note there is NO definitive article "The" prefixed before "Seven"

He scrapped that book idea and in 1919 decided to use that title for a book about his War exploits
finally completed in 1922

In 1927 an abridged version of his 1922 Subscribers" Edition was published in America
under the title "Revolt in the Desert"

All proceeds from both went into the RAF Benevolent Fund.
User avatar
ALAMO2008
Posts: 1012
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2015 2:31 pm
Location: Aberystwyth

ALAMO2008 wrote:
henry wrote:Lawrence of Arabia film doesn't have any women in it All the roles are male
I have used this fact many times over the years but am not sure whether it actually factually correct.

There are no Women/Woman speaking parts or appearing in a main scene agreed.

However, there is a shot as the Arab Army are leaving camp at Wadi Rumm to go off to battle.
Seated in the foreground are a group of Women all dressed in black, singing and wailing a lament in farewell to their menfolk in the background of the shot.
Whether David Lean had men dressed as women in black with a female singing voice over is not known.
"Not a lot of people know that !"

In the Final Scene of the Movie where Lawrence is leaving Arabia being Chauffeur driven they are over taken by a Motorbike, meant to represent his Future Fate.

The Motorbike Rider in Goggles is none other than DAVID LEAN the Director.


"Not a lot of people know that !"
User avatar
ALAMO2008
Posts: 1012
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2015 2:31 pm
Location: Aberystwyth

ALAMO2008 wrote:Leslie Howard was considered originally for the part as Lawrence.
Dirk Bogarde wanted the Role.
Albert Finney had a screen test but was deemed not right.
Hollywood producers believe it or not wanted Marlon Brando to play the role but he had just signed to make "Mutiny on the Bounty" and was committed for the next year or two.
It was Hollywood actress Katherine Hepburn that finally came up trumps with a suggestion.
She was in London had a evening out with her friend Hollywood Producer Sam Speigel and over the meal he expressed his despair over finding someone for the role.
She suggested an actor she had seen in a play in London the night before.
The play was "The Long the Short and the Tall" with fairly unknown actor = Peter O'Toole
The rest is History.

I missed a few out = Walter Hudd a brilliant lookalike.
Lawrence Harvey
Richard Burton
Montgomery Clift
John Clements
Laurence Olivier
Robert Donat
Cary Grant
all considered to play Lawrence.

To play Ali=
Alain Delon
Maurice Ronet
Horst Bucholz
finally given to Michael Shalboub (Omar Sharif)
User avatar
ALAMO2008
Posts: 1012
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2015 2:31 pm
Location: Aberystwyth

After Cycling around all the Castles on England and Wales and France in 1907 and 1908
and then walking 1600 km around all the Crusader Castles in the Middle East in 1909 sketching and photographing them.
In 1910 Lawrence submitted his Thesis
"The Influence of the Crusades on European Military Architecture to the end of the 12th Century"
This earned him a First Honours Degree in Modern History.
His Tutors held a Dinner in his Honour as they were so impressed, as his Theory challenged and opposed what he had been taught and the 19th Cent. view that the Crusader Castles were the prototype for the massive buildings and castles in France and England and Wales in the 12th & 13th Cent.and what's more he had been to them all, when they hadn't.
But all this new view remained unknown until 1936 a year after his death.
Reprint copies of his Thesis under the title "Crusader Castles" are currently available on Amazon for about £100

Image
Paul McCabe
Posts: 293
Joined: Thu Aug 14, 2008 12:00 pm
Location: Bootle, Merseyside

Hi Alamo........Great post, please continue with snippets of T E Lawrence.

Your post inspired me to visit the library, something I'm ashamed to say, I don't do often enough, & to request the authorised biography of him by Jeremy Wilson.

It duly arrived & I received a letter informing me to collect (all free.....another reason why we should "use it or lose it").

Anyway, I duly collected same in anticipation. However, it is over 3 & 1/4" thick...!!......& I know it will take me an age to finish.

So I will return it today to Bootle library (Strand), as I'm sure you've spiked the interest of others who will be eager to devour same.

Hence the first line of this post (!).

Cheers.

P
User avatar
ALAMO2008
Posts: 1012
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2015 2:31 pm
Location: Aberystwyth

Duplicate Post deleted with the help of Bernie.
Thanks
Last edited by ALAMO2008 on Fri Nov 09, 2018 3:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
ALAMO2008
Posts: 1012
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2015 2:31 pm
Location: Aberystwyth

ALAMO2008 wrote:
Paul McCabe wrote:Hi Alamo........Great post, please continue with snippets of T E Lawrence.

Your post inspired me to visit the library, something I'm ashamed to say, I don't do often enough, & to request the authorised biography of him by Jeremy Wilson.

It duly arrived & I received a letter informing me to collect (all free.....another reason why we should "use it or lose it").

Anyway, I duly collected same in anticipation. However, it is over 3 & 1/4" thick...!!......& I know it will take me an age to finish.

So I will return it today to Bootle library (Strand), as I'm sure you've spiked the interest of others who will be eager to devour same.

Hence the first line of this post (!).

Cheers.

P

Hi Paul,
Agreed Jeremy's book on Lawrence is very big and hard going.
Took me months to read it and I found it very boring and uninteresting.
Didn't really learn anything from it .
Pity as Jeremy was a really nice bloke and had many a late night drink with him in the St John's Student bar every 2 years discussing Lawrence.
Sadly, he passed away in 2017.
One Book I would recommend to kindle anyone's interest as it did mine back in the 60s is :
"The Secret Lives of Lawrence of Arabia" by Phillip Knightley and Colin Simpson it was published after their popular weekly articles in the Sunday Times back then.
The typescript lay out and interesting short paragraphs are full of facts, and makes it a very pleasant read.
Some great B/W photos also.
I often refer to it for info.

Alan

P S. I often visit upstairs archive dept of Crosby Library when back in Liverpool researching my Ancestry
They are so helpful and full of knowledge about Bootle and its History.
You wouldn't believe what's there waiting to be viewed or requested.
Silver-Haired-Hippy
Posts: 3398
Joined: Sat Jul 16, 2011 6:50 pm
Location: Abergele

Very interesting Almo, been to Porthmadog several times and saw the house in Tremadog where he was born!! :D I live not too far from there.

Loretta
A bit of Bootle in Wales
User avatar
ALAMO2008
Posts: 1012
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2015 2:31 pm
Location: Aberystwyth

How do I delete that 10.34 post which I thought I had edited but it created a Duplicate Posting amendment.?
User avatar
Bernie R
Posts: 5598
Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2008 9:30 am
Location: Netherton

I don't think you can delete a post once anyone has posted after it. if it was still most recent post on thread you can just click on the X in a circle at top right of post in question.

Too late for that now so, go into one of the two posts and you should see an option in top right to edit - click on that and when it comes up delete all the text and just enter something like 'Duplicate deleted' so it make sense.

Hope this helps.

Bern
Last edited by Bernie R on Fri Nov 09, 2018 5:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Born and raised in Romeo Street, later Lambeth Walk, Jersey Close, Garden Place, Hawthorne Rd, Gonville Rd now Netherton
User avatar
ALAMO2008
Posts: 1012
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2015 2:31 pm
Location: Aberystwyth

After the Easter Uprising in Dublin Michael Collins and other IRA members were put in POW camp Frongoch
off A4212 outside Bala, Wales
German POWs also there.
By Dec 1916 the camp was closed and the Irish pardoned and released.
It was claimed while there,they developed plans to fight for an independent state upon release.
Presume Germans transferred elsewhere.
Lawrence was to meet Collins in 1920 and 1921 and express his support for their ideas.
Meanwhile in Arabia in 1916 after upsetting lots of Army Generals and Colonels in Military Intelligence HQ in Cairo he was posted as Feisals Liaison Officer in Wadi Safra near Rabegh to try to get him and his Arabs
to fight the Ottomans with the promise of freedom and their own new Country.
He had just lost his two younger brothers on the Western Front a few weeks earlier.
Frank in The Gloucestershire Regt.
Will in the Flying Corps.
Lawrence was keen to see action after as he put it "sitting safely in an Office!"
Feisal presented Capt.Lawrence with a gift : a Lee Enfield Mark 3 short magazine Rifle
belonging to the 1st Essex Regt. but captured at Gallipoli in April 1915 by the Turks
they presented one Rifle to each of King Husseins Sons. Feisal being one of them.
The Rifle was inscribed in Arabic by the Turks and read : " part of the booty in the Battle for the Dardenelles"
Lawrence used it to kill Turks and put knotches on it for each Turk killed.
In late 1918 Lawrence presented it to King George V as a gift when refusing his CB and DSO from the King
The King presented it on loan to the Imperial War Museum in London where it now lives.
User avatar
ALAMO2008
Posts: 1012
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2015 2:31 pm
Location: Aberystwyth

As mentioned in previous post after the Death of his Two younger Brothers Will and Frank in 1916 Lawrence was determined to get into the action.
After getting the Arabs to side with the Allies in June 1916 and rise up against the Turks who had ruled them for 500 years, Lawrence saw loads of action in 1916/17 his knowledge of War Fare Tactics from reading History about the Greeks, Romans and following wars and seeing the failure of Gallipoli and the Western Front,
made him realise, it was better to use Guerilla tactics to tie up the enemy and keep them from actually fighting on a Front against Britain's Main Advance.
8,000 Turks alone were besieged in Medina from June 1916 to January 1919 and thousands of other Turks were tied up keeping the Muslim Pilgrims Railway open as well as trying to supply their besieged colleagues
for 3 years.

He had a personal body guard of murderers and thieves, that he paid, totalling, nearly 90

But as well as using X flight to observe positions he loved using Armoured Cars with Vickers Guns and called it "Fighting Deluxe"

Gen.Allenby captured Jerusalem just before Christmas 1917 with Lawrence's diversion tactics.

Allenby made his Cavalry dismount before entering the Jaffa gate and walk in as Christ had done.

Lawrence borrowed a British Army Officers Uniform and was involved in the Parade through the Gate
Photo of the Little man in the centre of the other officers in the courtyard there is herewith.


Image

Image



Image

Image
User avatar
ALAMO2008
Posts: 1012
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2015 2:31 pm
Location: Aberystwyth

ALAMO2008 wrote:As mentioned in previous post after the Death of his Two younger Brothers Will and Frank in 1916 Lawrence was determined to get into the action.
After getting the Arabs to side with the Allies in June 1916 and rise up against the Turks who had ruled them for 500 years, Lawrence saw loads of action in 1916/17 his knowledge of War Fare Tactics from reading History about the Greeks, Romans and following wars and seeing the failure of Gallipoli and the Western Front,
made him realise, it was better to use Guerilla tactics to tie up the enemy and keep them from actually fighting on a Front against Britain's Main Advance.
8,000 Turks alone were besieged in Medina from June 1916 to January 1919 and thousands of other Turks were tied up keeping the Muslim Pilgrims Railway open as well as trying to supply their besieged colleagues
for 3 years.

He had a personal body guard of murderers and thieves, that he paid, totalling, nearly 90

But as well as using X flight to observe positions he loved using Armoured Cars with Vickers Guns and called it "Fighting Deluxe"

Gen.Allenby captured Jerusalem just before Christmas 1917 with Lawrence's diversion tactics.

Allenby made his Cavalry dismount before entering the Jaffa gate and walk in as Christ had done.

Lawrence borrowed a British Army Officers Uniform and was involved in the Parade through the Gate
Photo of the Little man in the centre of the other officers in the courtyard there is herewith.


Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image
User avatar
ALAMO2008
Posts: 1012
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2015 2:31 pm
Location: Aberystwyth

Image


Image


X Flight with Liverpudlian George Hynes who became a Friend of Lawrence's

Image


Lawrence and the Arab Army entered Damascus on 1 Oct 1918 it is not clear whether he entered the City first
or whether the Australian Light Horse did.


Image


By coincidence his drivers name of this Blue Mist Rolls Royce was Cpl.S.C.Rolls

He looted Saladins Tomb.
(Saladin had been the enemy of Lawrence's favourite hero of his youth "Richard the Lionheart")
The German Kaiser placed a Gold Wreath on the Tomb during his visit there in 1898

Image


and Lawrence decided to take this and present it to the Imperial War Museum on the grounds
" Saladin no longer required it"

Image


He had his portrait painted by Australian War Artist James McBey in Damascus on 2/10/1918
Lawrence was down to 8st in weight.

Image

He asked Allenby to make him a Full Colonel so he could have his own compartment on the train through Italy.


30/10/1918 Lawrence has a private audience with King George V who had been following his career since early 1917 and was looking forward to presenting Lawrence with a host of medals, but after hooking on the first medal and turning to pick up the next on the cushion behind he turned back to face Lawrence and find that he had taken that first medal off and refused any more, stating the Govt had broken a promise to the Arabs which had given and if he had to fight for them to gain their promised country against British Troops it would not look right with him wearing Medals the King had given him.

Technically he had been awarded them in the London Gazette, itwas only the formal presentation of them, that he refused.
Because he claimed he threw some off London Bridge into the Thames and another pinned to the Collar of a friends Dog. Others the King is reported to have said, "I suppose, I 'll have to give these to Marshall Foch" which pleased Lawrence that Foch was being presented with those that he himself had refused.

21 November 1918 he attends a meeting of the War Cabinet.


Image


In Dec 1918 he accompanies Prince Feisal on a Tour of the UK

The photo below taken on HMS Orion in Glasgow


Image



Feisal liked Scotland and adopted the Coat of Arms of the McKay Clan for painting on his Rolls Royce wheel arches.
Post Reply