Lawrence, T.E.

Full Name: T.E. Lawrence

Nationality: British | Activity: British scholar and military officer

Born: 15-08-1888 | Died: 19-05-1935

Thomas Edward Lawrence was born on Aug. 15, 1888, in Portmadoc, Wales. After secondary school he enrolled in the University of Oxford in England. He rarely attended classes, but he read continually. Lawrence was interested in the Middle Ages, and after college this interest took him to the Near East to study the castles of the crusaders. He traveled throughout Palestine, Syria, and Mesopotamia.

When World War I began in 1914 Lawrence was rejected for active service because he was too short. He found a place in the War Office and was transferred to the intelligence service in Egypt. Soon he was sent to Arabia with the rank of colonel.

To weld the scattered Arab forces into a fighting unit, Lawrence almost became an Arab himself. He wore an Arab's flowing robes and a chieftain's headdress and rode on camels. Under his leadership attacks against supply trains and other surprise maneuvers routed the Turks from strong positions. In a series of battles his forces destroyed the Fourth Turkish army and captured Damascus.

When the war was over Lawrence looked after Arab interests at the peace conference and took part in the Middle Eastern Settlement of 1921. Then he retired to write ‘Seven Pillars of Wisdom' (1926), his account of the revolt. An abridged edition, ‘Revolt in the Desert', appeared later. Meanwhile he had enlisted in the armed services as a private. To escape attention he had changed his name, first to J.H. Ross, and then later to T.E. Shaw. He refused any reward or decorations for his military service. Lawrence died in Clouds Hill, Dorsetshire, England on May 19, 1935.

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Source: Encyclopedia Britannica