T. E. Lawrence

Lawrence loved riding motorcycles. He owned eight ‘Brough Superior’ motorcycles at different times in his life.

Unfortunately, he died in an accident while riding his ‘Brough Superior SS100’ motorcycle in Dorset. In order to save two boys on their bicycles, he swerved his motorcycle and was thrown over the handlebars.

Thomas Edward Lawrence was born on August 16, 1888 in Tremadog, Carnarvonshire, Wales, to Sir Thomas Chapman and Sarah Junner. Sarah was the governess of Sir Thomas’s daughters.

Sir Thomas had left his wife, Edith, to be with Sarah. Sarah was the daughter of Elizabeth Junner and John Lawrence. Although Sir Thomas and Sarah did not marry, they lived together and used the surname “Lawrence.”

The couple had five sons, Edward being the second-eldest. Two of his brothers, Frank and Will, were killed in France in 1915 during World War I.

The family moved around a lot but finally settled down in Polstead Road, Oxford, in 1896. Lawrence attended the ‘City of Oxford High School for Boys’ and graduated in 1907.

His love for archaeology was such that he, along with his friend Cyril Beeson, cycled around the streets of Britain and studied the monuments and antiquities. Thereafter, they presented their discoveries to the ‘Ashmolean Museum.’ The museum stated in its annual report (1906) that Lawrence and his friend "by incessant watchfulness secured everything of antiquarian value which has been found.”

From 1911 to 1914, he practiced being an archeologist in the Middle East. He acquired a travel fellowship to Carchemish, under DG Hogarth, who arranged it on behalf of the ‘British Museum.’

He became fascinated with the Middle East and its culture. In his free time, he often traveled to nearby villages to learn about the language of the people.

During this time, he also studied Arabic as he continued his work of excavation in different cities of the Middle East. He also moved to Syria for sometime, where he worked with Hogarth, R Campbell Thompson, and Leonard Woolley.

He once stated that he owed his career to Hogarth.

When the war was declared, Lawrence was enlisted in the ‘British Army,’ but not immediately. He was initially part of the ‘General List,’ and it was only after he was summoned by historian and well-know archeologist Lt. Cmdr. David Hogarth to the ‘Arab Bureau’ intelligence unit in Cairo that he really got involved in the war.

His job in the bureau was to prepare maps, interview prisoners, and update the British generals via bulletins.

The ‘Arab Revolt’ began in June 1916. On October 16, 1916, Lawrence was sent to the Hejaz, as part of the British intelligence forces, to interview three of Sharif Hussein’s sons: Ali, Abdullah, and Faisal.

He stated that Faisal was the best-suited candidate to be the leader of the revolt. He started working closely with Faisal to map out ways in strengthening the position of the Arab forces and to prevent the Ottoman forces from weakening them.

He kept working with Faisal until the fall of Damascus in 1918. Around this time, Lawrence met the Arab people and convinced them to suspend the revolt until Faisal reached the outskirts of Damascus.