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| *Nothing known about this picture |
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Man of action, man of letters, archaeologist, guerrilla-leader, kingmaker, diplomat and national hero, T. E. Lawrence is one of the most extraordinary
Englishmen of the 20th century. His daring exploits in the Great War (WW1)
made him a living legend.
Thomas Edward Lawrence was born at Tremadoc, North Wales, on 15th August
1888. At Oxford University his thesis on crusader castles took him to
Syria and Palenstine (then under Turkish control) where, during his travels,
he experienced all the hardships of an ordinary Arab. Pre-war archeological
work in the desert brought him into closer contact with tribesmen who
learned to accept him as their leader during the Arab Revolt.
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| *As Aircraftman John Hume Ross – studio portrait. |
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Unfortunately Lawrence's experiences during the Arab Revolt and, in particular,
what he viewed as a betrayal of the Arab's cause at the Paris Peace Conference
in 1919, caused him considerable mental distress. In 1922 he reached breaking
point and he decided to enlist in the RAF under a false name, John Hume
Ross.
From 1922 until his death in 1935, on his motorcycle not far from his
beloved Clouds Hill cottage in Dorset, Lawrence was known as Aircraftman
Ross.
Lawrence first arrived in Hythe on the 21st April, 1931, when he was
seconded to the British Power Boat works at Hythe. The works were located
in Shore Road and are now the United States Marine Support Facility, although
the base is owned by the RAF. The British Power Boat company was owned
by Hubert Scott-Paine, a very famous figure in power-boat circles before
WW2.
Up until 30 September 2005, one of the power-boats that Lawrence worked on (RAF seaplane tender 206), which had been restored, could be seen at the British
Military Powerboat Trust Museum at Marchwood, but the Trust has moved its last boat out of the Husbands Shipyard sheds and are temporarily berthed elsewhere. Visit the BMPT website for more details about the future of the Powerboats.
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| Myrtle Cottage is on the right. |
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Lawrence was to visit Hythe, for work at British Power Boats, at intervals
until 1932 and lodged at Myrtle Cottage in Shore Road. The cottage is
still standing and is now a residence again, having been offices for some
years.
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