T.E. Lawrence
Lieutenant Colonel, British Army
"All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity. But the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible."
Biography
British intelligence officer who became the legendary 'Lawrence of Arabia' by organizing and leading the Arab Revolt against the Ottomans. Using guerrilla tactics — dynamiting railways, ambushing convoys — he tied down large Ottoman forces with a small mobile force. His memoir 'Seven Pillars of Wisdom' is a masterpiece. He felt profound guilt about the broken British promises to Arab leaders.
Did you know?
After the war he enlisted in the RAF under the false name 'Aircraftsman John Hume Ross' to escape his fame, was discovered by the press, discharged, then re-enlisted as 'Private T.E. Shaw.' He spent his last years at a tiny cottage in Dorset, riding motorcycles at high speed. He died of injuries from a motorcycle crash at age 46, six days after avoiding a collision with two boys on bicycles.
Key Battles
Battle of Megiddo
Allied Powers victorySeptember 19–25, 1918 · 80,000 total casualties
The most complete military victory of WWI. Knocked the Ottoman Empire out of the war and ended 400 years of Ottoman rule in the Arab world. The subsequent Sykes-Picot division of the Middle East by Britain and France drew borders that fuel conflict to this day.
Life Journey
Timeline
August 16, 1888
🌅 Birth
Born in Tremadog, Wales
1907–1910
📚 Education
Oxford University — First Class in History
1911–1914
📍 Posting
Carchemish archaeological excavation, Syria — becomes fluent in Arabic
1914–1916
📍 Posting
British intelligence office, Cairo, Egypt
1916–1918
⚔️ Battle
Hejaz, Arabia — with Faisal and the Arab Revolt; dynamites railways
October 1918
⚔️ Battle
Enters Damascus in triumph with Arab forces
May 19, 1935
✝️ Death
Dies at Clouds Hill cottage, Dorset, from motorcycle injuries