Thomas Edward Lawrence, the
famed British Army officer died on May 19th, 1935.
Lawrence was an intelligence officer who became enmeshed in the Arab revolt
against the Ottoman empire. His memoir about his experiences during the Great
War was published in 1926. It was titled Seven Pillars of Wisdom. The
book formed the basis of David Lean’s epic movie Lawrence of Arabia,
which was released in 1962.
Lawrence was a distant cousin of Major General Orde Wingate who as a Captain oversaw
the quelling of the Arab Revolt in Palestine between 1936 and 1939.
Both men are noted for having
innovated distinct forms of irregular warfare.
The photograph was taken in 1919 while serving as
British Liaison Officer to Emir Feisal at the Versailles Peace Conference.
Army ranks (select):
. 1916 - Captain (Temporary rank)
. 1917 - Major (Temporary rank)
. 1918 - Lieutenant Colonel (Temporary rank)
. 1918 - Colonel (Substantive rank)
Lawrence left the army in 1919.
He later served almost 13 years in the RAF and British Army as enlisted personnel.
© Adeyinka Makinde (2025).
Adeyinka Makinde is a writer based in London, England.
