LAWRENCE OF ARABIA                             

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.

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.

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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