On This Day: May 19th, 1935:
Colonel Thomas Edward Lawrence, better known as Lawrence of Arabia, dies of injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident.
Born out of wedlock in Tremadog, Wales to an Anglo-Irish father and a Scottish mother, he had a happy and active childhood despite the stigma of his parents circumstances.
He excelled academically and early in life displayed an exceptional talent for languages. He became an accomplished archaeologist and was engaged in this profession when World War 1 began and he was co-opted by the British military where he explored and mapped ground that would be strategically important if the Ottoman Empire was to advance against Egypt. He quickly drew the attention of senior commanders and was commissioned on the General List (specialists not attached to a particular regiment or corps.)
By June 1916, Lawrence was involved in the Arab Revolt which would define his career and make his name. After the failure of the Gallipoli campaign, the British turned to another strategy to divert and disrupt the Ottomans. They would begin an Arab uprising, drawing the Ottoman army into a difficult guerilla war against nomadic desert tribes.
Lawrence once again displayed his exceptional talent and ability, endearing himself to Faisal, the future King of Iraq who urgently requested that Lawrence remain on his staff for the duration of the revolt.
His most important contributions were in matters of strategy and liaison with the British, however he participated personally in at least twelve military engagements, where he led men in attacking Ottoman outposts, railways and bridges and at the Battle of Tefilah, after which he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. He was so successful, that a bounty of £20,000 (Approximately £1.5million in todays money) was placed on him. It is a testament to how highly the Arabs regarded him that he was never betrayed.
As the war drew to an end, Lawrence sought to convince his superiors that Arab independence would be in their interests, which was met with mixed success. He later became involved in various roles both military and civilian until his untimely death in 1935.
Picture shown: Thomas Edward Lawrence in British Army uniform ... See MoreSee Less
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