T. E. Lawrence

Contents lists

1888-1910

1911

1912

1913

1914

1915-16

1917-18

1919-20

1921

1922

1923

1924

1925

1926

1927

1928

1929

1930

1931

1932

1933

1934

1935

Updated June 2012

T. E. Lawrence to H. G. Hayter

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338171 A/C Shaw
R.A.F. Mount Batten
Plymouth

8.1.30.

Dear Hayter

Alas, our kidney and bean at Lyons will have to wait. I am up to the neck in Greek, again, the next section of that stuff I used to wire into at Miranshah. They gave me a hundred for what I did out there: on that I made merry all last summer (with that and the Schneider Cup, to which I was clurk) and now I'm broke, and chasing hard at the second hundred. Till it comes I can't do London - not much before May, I think.

Life here goes smoothly. In November I had a tiff with Lord T. our present boss. He tried to sling me out: I double-crossed him. So am airmanning on. Our C.O. here is a treat. Grub is better than Miranshah grub: Plymouth is a rotten hole; the sea is lovely, in summer, and hell in winter: and it's work work work. I wish Greek had never been invented.

An Italian bad-hat dashed me one of these electric gramophones: and it sits in our hut. Everybody else plays it very well. Greek Greek Greek for me. All the same that portable was good at Miranshah. I hope yours is doing its stuff.

I ought to write to Corpl. Easton: indeed I ought: to how many people should I write? about 13426897438, I think. To how many will I write - perhaps 6 or 7. Alas. I am a miserable sinner.

Let me know about Heyford later. I was nearly sent there: and would like to know

1) Guards or Fire Pickets?
2) Drill Parades?
3) Equipment (I haven't drawn my blue yet!)? When worn?
4) Bullshit generally?
5) Weekends?

Just in case.

Yours

T.E. Shaw

Will pink envelopes float up Heyford way? Or are you married, and a monthly postcard?

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T. E. Lawrence chronology

1888 16 August: born at Tremadoc, Wales

1896-1907: City of Oxford High School for Boys

1907-9: Jesus College, Oxford, B.A., 1st Class Hons, 1909

1910-14: Magdalen College, Oxford (Senior Demy), while working at the British Museum's excavations at Carchemish

1915-16: Military Intelligence Dept, Cairo

1916-18: Liaison Officer with the Arab Revolt

1919: Attended the Paris Peace Conference

1919-22: wrote Seven Pillars of Wisdom

1921-2: Adviser on Arab Affairs to Winston Churchill at the Colonial Office

1922 August: Enlisted in the Ranks of the RAF

1923 January: discharged from the RAF

1923 March: enlisted in the Tank Corps

1923: translated a French novel, The Forest Giant

1924-6: prepared the subscribers' abridgement of Seven Pillars of Wisdom

1927-8: stationed at Karachi, then Miranshah

1927 March: Revolt in the Desert, an abridgement of Seven Pillars, published

1928: completed The Mint, began translating Homer's Odyssey

1929-33: stationed at Plymouth

1931: started working on RAF boats

1932: his translation of the Odyssey published

1933-5: attached to MAEE, Felixstowe

1935 February: retired from the RAF

1935 19 May: died from injuries received in a motor-cycle crash on 13 May

1935 21 May: buried at Moreton, Dorset