New Britain herald., 1929-06-14

from the public, He has even gone % far as to change his name by deed poll to Shaw. Thomas Ed ward Lawrence no longer exists ex- cept in the mind of the public. He is now Aircraftsman Shaw of the Royal Air Force.
 But there still exists the theory. supported perhaps by past actions of Colonel Lawrence. that his pres ent role is but . temporary one and that in 8 short time he will bob up again in Afghanistan, Arabia. or somewhere else in the East he knows 70 we'll.
 This is not the first time that Lawrence has been doing menial work in the air force. In 1922 he was cleaning dirty machinery in the R. A. F. under the name of Ross, having enlisted for seven years serv- ice. He did not remain long in England, however. and he was next seen in India in the garb of a native.
 Romantic Life Story
 His seven years of service was finished last April but it is under stood he signed up for five more years. At least he is still with the R. A. F.
 The life story of Lawrence ex- ceeds in romance and glamour the tales in Arabian Nights" For more than IS years he has fitted about the globe like a shadow and no one but himself could relate all his ex- periences. For years he would be buried in Arabia or India and then suddenly and unexpectedly reap. peared in England without word to say about where he has been oi what he has been doing. True he has written two books but they dc not tell all.
 On leaving Oxford where he wa. a don. Lawrence made his way tt the East. Dressed as a native ht wandered up and down Arabia Syria and Mesopotamia. cultivated his natural gifts for association witf Oriental peoples and making him. self master of the many Arabic dia lects.
 When the war came and Turke, threw in her lot with the Centra Powers. this young archaeologist who at the moment was excavatins Hittite remains in the Valley of tn, Euphrates. became a soldier whos' exploits will long remain a legend among the Arabs. It is said tha single handed he blew up mor' than IT trains and underwent SC we're fiogging from his Turkish cap tors without revealing himself be b. English and not Arabic.
 Organized Hedjaz Forces
 He organized the forces of thu King of Hedjaz. who had revoltet against the Sultan and seized Mecca. The story of how this tin! Englishman. dressed in the fiowinl robes of the Arabs. organized tn, forces of that country and led then to success after success reads lik, an inspired legend.
 Out of gratitude for his service to their country the Arab leader made him an Emir and a Prince o Mecca. signal honor. King Illus I sein presented him with curved gold sword worn only bv direct de scendants of Mohammed.
 At the end of the war he was witt the British delegation at the peac, l in l,o pointed adviser on Arab affairs fol one year. This far. and no farther is the record of his life carried il Who's Who in Great Britain" II this book there is no mention O the years between 1923 and-Jea1 and Thomas Edward LSwrenoe. classified a. a research fellow a All Souls College. Oxford" 1 It is known that in February 0 1929 he suddenly returned to Lon don fram somewhere in India What he had been doing and why none could say. A huge crow, gathered to meet him at'the statiol but 50 expert had he become ii eluding curious. and sometimes hos tile. followers, that he slipped ou of the station before the crowd ha, time to catch glimpse of his smal figure.
 Fellow Airmcn Lcnicnt But the curious were not to b denied. Several weeks later the found Lawrence peacefully workin