Person    | Male  Born 16/8/1888  Died 19/5/1935

T. E. Lawrence

Intelligence officer and author. Born at Woodlands, Tremadoc, Caernarvonshire. He joined the archaeological team of Sir Flinders Petrie at Carchemish on the Euphrates, where he first met the Bedouins. In WW1, he worked for army intelligence in North Africa, and went on to fight with Arab irregular troops against the forces of the Ottoman Empire. His account of the Arab revolt, 'The Seven Pillars of Wisdom' became a classic of war literature. After the war, in order to escape his fame, he enlisted in the Royal Air Force under the name of John Hume Ross, and when exposed, joined the Royal Tank Corps as T.E. Shaw.

He was thrown from his motorcycle when he swerved to avoid hitting some boys near his home in Dorset, and died five days later in Bovington Camp Hospital. Peter O'Toole played him in the 1962 film 'Lawrence of Arabia', and was so good looking that Noel Coward quipped that if he had been any prettier the film should be called Florence of Arabia.

The details of history can sometimes make it read more like farce than heroics. In the famous camel charge at Aqaba Lawrence, firing as he charged, accidentally shot his camel in the back of the head. The camel died, Lawrence was thrown from the saddle, and took no further part in the battle.

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
T. E. Lawrence

Commemorated ati

T. E. Lawrence

T. E. Lawrence, "Lawrence of Arabia", 1888 - 1935, lived here. Greater London...

Read More

Other Subjects

Napoleonic wars

Napoleonic wars

Following the French Revolution France, under Napoleon, fought with most of Europe (primarily Britain, Spain, Russia and Austria)  in various alliances for over a decade.  The fighting spread as fa...

Event, Armed Forces

2 memorials
3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters)

3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters)

On 23 July 1901, the 3rd County of London Imperial Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) was formed and on 1 April 1908, the regiment was renamed as the 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) and transfe...

Group, Armed Forces

1 memorial
Admiral Sir Andrew Browne Cunningham

Admiral Sir Andrew Browne Cunningham

Born Dublin. Known as ABC in the Navy. Naval Commander-in-Chief in the Med until 1942, first Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff by the end of the war. Managed the evacuation of Crete when the German...

Person, Armed Forces, Ireland

2 memorials
A. Bridgman

A. Bridgman

Resident of Willesden who volunteered and died in the Anglo Boer War, 1899-1900.

Person, Armed Forces, South Africa

War dead, Other war
1 memorial
Jack Harvey, VC

Jack Harvey, VC

In WW1 Harvey was in the 1/22nd (County of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (The Queen's). On 2 September 1918 north of Peronne, France, when the advance of his company was held up by machine...

Person, Armed Forces

War served, WW1
1 memorial

Previously viewed

Nick Duncombe

Nick Duncombe

Rugby Union player. Born Buckinghamshire. Played for Harlequins and for England. Died just after his 21st birthday, in Lanzarote following a short illness.

Person, Sport / Games

1 memorial
Leonard C. Bareford

Leonard C. Bareford

Died aged five years. Andrew Behan has kindly carried out some research on this little boy. Leonard Charles Bareford was born in 1912 in Poplar, London, a son of Charles Leonard Bareford and Ethel ...

Person

War dead non-military, WW1
1 memorial
Battle of St Vincent frieze

Battle of St Vincent frieze

NW1, Euston Road, Triton Square

See "2018" below for the event that this relief depicts. Camden's Public Art List of Major Works in the Borough (warning: large file) sa...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Freemason VCs - Z5 - Wheeler, White, Wilcox

Freemason VCs - Z5 - Wheeler, White, Wilcox

WC2, Great Queen Street, Freemasons' Hall

The Freemasons commissioned this memorial to mark the 300th anniversary of The United Grand Lodge of England in 2017 and the centenary of...

War served | WW1
4 subjects commemorated
C. E. Smale

C. E. Smale

Co-partner or employee of the South Suburban Gas Company. Served but did not die in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War served, WW1
1 memorial