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T. E. Lawrence

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T. E. Lawrence
Lawrence in 1919
Birth nameThomas Edward Lawrence
Elk-nameLawrence o Arabie, El Aurens
Born16 August 1888(1888-08-16)
Tremadog, Caernarfonshire, Wales, Unitit Kinrick
Dee'd19 Mey 1935(1935-05-19) (aged 46)
Bovington Camp, Dorset, Ingland, Unitit Kinrick
Buried atSt Nicholas, Moreton, Dorset
AllegianceUnitit Kinrick Unitit Kinrick
Arab Revolt Kinrick o Hejaz
Service/branch Breetish Airmy
Ryal Air Force
Years o service1914–18
1923–35
RankColonel an Aircraftman
Battles/warsFirst Warld War
AwairdsCompanion o the Order o the Bath[1]
Distinguished Service Order[2]
Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur[3]
Croix de guerre (France)[4]

Thomas Edward Lawrence CB DSO (16 August 1888[5] – 19 Mey 1935) wis a Breetish airchaeologist, militar officer, diplomat an writer. He wis renowned for his liaison role during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign an the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire during the First Warld War. The breadth and variety o his activities and associations, an his ability tae describe them vividly in writing, earned him internaitional fame as Lawrence o Arabia—a title uised for the 1962 film based on his wartime activities.

He wis born oot o wedlock in Tremadog, Wales, in August 1888 tae Thomas Chapman (who became, in 1914, Sir Thomas Chapman, 7th Baronet), an Anglo-Irish nobleman frae County Westmeath, and Sarah Junner, a Scottish governess (whom Chapman haed left his wife and first family in Ireland tae cohabit wi; thay cried themselves Mr and Mrs Lawrence).The faimily next moved tae Kirkcoobrie in Gallowa' in 1888 whaur wis born his brither William George.

Craigville, St Mary's Street, Kirkcudbright, Scotland
Craigville, St Mary's Street, Kirkcudbright, Scotland

Craigville, St Mary's Street, Kirkcoobrie, Gallowa', the Lawrence faimily hame.

In 1896, the Lawrences moved tae Oxford, whaur thair son attended the High School an in 1907–1910 studied History at Jesus College. Atween 1910 and 1914 he worked as an archaeologist, chiefly at Carchemish, in what is nou Sirie.

Suin efter the outbreak o war he volunteered for the Breetish Airmy and wis stationed in Egyp. In 1916, he wis sent tae Arabia on an intelligence mission and quickly became involved wi the Arab Revolt, providin, alang wi ither Breetish officers, liaison tae the Arab forces. Wirkin closely wi Emir Faisal, a leader o the revolt, he participated in and whiles led military activities against the Ottoman armed forces, culminatin in the capture o Damascus in October 1918.

Efter the war, Lawrence jynt the Foreign Office, wirkin wi baith the Breetish govrenment and wi Faisal. In 1922, he retreated frae public life and spent the years until 1935 serving as an enlisted man, maistly in the Royal Air Force, wi a brief stint in the Airmy. During this time, he wrote and published his best-kent work, Seven Pillars of Wisdom, an autobiographical accoont o his participation in the Arab Revolt. He an aw translated beuks intae Inglis and wrote The Mint, which wis published posthumously and detailed his time in the Royal Air Force wirkin as an ordinary aircraftman. He corresponded extensively and wis friendly wi well-kent artists, writers, an politicians. For the Royal Air Force, he participated in the development o rescue motorboats.

Lawrence's public image resulted in pairt frae the sensationalised reporting o the Arab revolt bi American jurnalist Lowell Thomas, as well as frae Seven Pillars o Wisdom. In 1935, Lawrence wis fatally injured in a motorcycle accident in Dorset.

References

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  1. "No. 30222". The London Gazette (invalid |supp= (help)). 7 August 1917.
  2. "No. 30681". The London Gazette (invalid |supp= (help)). 10 Mey 1918.
  3. "No. 29600". The London Gazette. 30 Mey 1916.
  4. "No. 30638". The London Gazette (invalid |supp= (help)). 16 Apryle 1918. - p4715 has "Decorations and Medals presented by THE PRESIDENT OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC."
  5. His offeecial birth record leets 15 August 1888 as birth date, accordin tae his faither's statement (no time o birth). However, his mither statit that he wis born in the early oors o 16 August an, accordin tae extant documents, it wis on this date that his birthday wis celebratit.