| Cutting images reproduced from The London Gazette. Coloured pale green and underlined in red are by the editor
| Comments etc.
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TEL's first record in The London Gazette appeared in the issue of 5 November 1914. It reads:
T. G. Lawrence, to be temporary Second Lieutenant. Dated 23rd October, 1914.
[ London Gazette Supplement 1914/11/05 ]
TEL accepted a commission on 23 October 1914. Yes, his initial was wrongly spelled as T. G. This article was corrected in the issue of 14 November 1914.
The name of Temporary Second Lieutenant T. E. Lawrence as now described, and not as stated in the Gazette of 5th November, 1914.
[ London Gazette 1914/11/17 ]
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TEL write to a Mrs Hasluck on 28 February 1916 in Cairo.
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I am a 2nd Lieutenant...and a Staff Captain, which explained the riddle... [MB, p.79]
(For those who are not sure about ‘Staff Captain’, see this page)
Shortry after that he moved forward Temporary Captain, jumping Lieutenant.
Temp. 2nd Lt. T. E. Lawrence to be temp. Capt. whilst specially employed. 20th Mar. 1916.
[ London Gazette 1916/4/18 ]
PHOTO 1
In a captain uniform in 1917
[Photo from Imperial War Museum site]
When Captain Basil Henry Liddell Hart asked when did he become a captain, TEL answered:
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I was Staff Captain. I lost it on going to Mespot[amia], so Hedley arranged a local captaincy.
[DG, p.203; B:LH, p.62]
Colonel Coote Hedley was head of MO4, the geographical division of Military Inteligence [MB, p.66].
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Temp. 2nd Lt. Thomas Edward Lawrence and his colleague Maj. (temp. Lt.-Col.) Stewart Francis Newcombe were awarded a French decoration, Croix de Chevalier or Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur. It was referred as “Chevalier Legion of Honour” at his Who's Who entry later (see APPENDIX).
This is the first time his full name Thomas Edward Lawrence was appeared in The London Gazette.
[ London Gazette Supplement 1916/5/16 ]
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His name on the general list as an intelligent officer.
[ London Gazette Supplement 1916/6/20 ]
TEL mentioned “Colonel Parker” in letters to his home in 1915 [HL, pp.307, 309] . A. C. Parker was a nephew of Kitchener and the Arab Bureau's first executive director. This notification makes it clear that “Colonel Parker” was Local and Temporary Lieutenant Colonel.
TEL made a list of the general staff of the intelligence section, Cairo, on January 1916 [HL, p.313]. Capt. MacDonnell, Capt. P. Graves and Woolley were among that.
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I have now been made a Captain and Staff Captain again, which is amusing. It doesn't make any difference of course really, as I am never in uniform in Arabia, and nobody cares a straw what rank I hold, except that I am of Sherif Feisul's [sic] household. [25.2.17, HG, p.337]
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He was advanced from Temporary Captain to Temporary Major on 5th Aug. 1917. Now he was called ‘Major Lawrence.’
[ London Gazette Supplement 1917/8/04 ]
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Temp. Maj. Thomas Edward Lawrence, General List, appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (C.B.), backdated to the day of 4th June 1917. A name of Gilbert Clayton appears on the above.
[ London Gazette Supplement 1917/8/08 ]
TEL wrote to his parents on 5 September 1917 in Akaba.
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Tell Mother they asked for that twopenny thing she likes, but fortunately didn't get it*3. All these letters & things are so many nuisances afterwards, & I'll never wear or use any of them. Please don't either. My address is simply T.E.L., no titles please.
[note] *3 He had been recommended fo a Victoria Cross on account of his reconnaissance jourey through Syria but was appointed a C.B. (Companion of the Order of the Bath), Military Division, instead. [MB, pp.121-22]
...and for my present don't put either Major of C.B. or any other letters (past present or future) after my name when writing to me. Those sorts of things are only nuisances to a person with £250 a year, & the intention of not having more, and the less they are used the better...[To his mother, Sept.24 1917, MB, pp.123]
TEL wrote to Robert Graves in 1927:
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I was gazetted a C.B. for taking Akaba (6 July 1917), and promoted to field rank (Maj.) from Capt. so as to be eligible for the C.B. Wingate recommended me for the V.C. instead, but it was quite properly (and much to my relief) refused. My report to Clayton admitted no individual effort of the V.C. character. It is not given for good staff work, or brainy leadership, but for courage of the fighting sort―and I am not a fighter. [B:RG, p.93]
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His name on a list of Staff Captains on 1st October 1917, with Captain Philip Perceval Graves, half-brother of Robert Graves. TEL was Vice Temorary Major, C.B., General List.
[ London Gazette Supplement 1918/01/01 ]
TEL mentioned Graves on a letter on 12 February 1915:
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There is also Graves The Times correspondent, and very learned in the Turkish army organisation... [To W. G. Lawrence, HL p.302]
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On 14 December 1917 in Cairo he wrote that:
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...However they have just raised my pay, by pushing me up the roll of Staff appointments. I'm now called a G.S.O.2. [sic]
The French Government has stuck another medal on to me: a croix de guerre this time. I wish they would not bother, but they never consult one before doing these things. At least I have never accepted one, and will never wear one or allow one to be conferred on me openly...[HL, p.345]
Yes, he was awarded another French decoration, the Croix de Guerre, for the capture of Akaba. It was referred as “Croix de Guerre with Palms” at his Who's Who entry later (see APPENDIX). He was now in Special List, not General List.
[ London Gazette Supplement 1918/4/18 ]
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He won the Distinguished Service Order for his conduct at the Battle of Tafileh (24-25 January 1918).
T./Maj. Thomas Edward Lawrence, C.B., Spec. List.
For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in an engagement. He showed splendid leadership and skill, and was largely responsible for the success of the action in which 300 prisoners, two field guns, and twenty-three machine guns were captured.
[ London Gazette Supplement 1918/5/13 ]
TEL wrote to his mother:
- They have now given me a D.S.O. It's a pity all this good stuff is not sent to someone who would use it! Also apparently I'm a colonel of sorts. Don't make any change in my address of course. [8.3.18, MB, p.145]
He knew his promotion to Lt.-Col on 8th March. See below.
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He was promoted from Temporary Major to Temporary Lieutenant Colonel as the 1st grade of General Staff Officer (G.S.O.1; GSO1; GSO I), General List, on 12th March 1918. (For those who are not sure about ‘G.S.O.’, see this page)
Temp. Maj. T. E. Lawrence, C.B., D.S.O., Gen. List, and to be temp. Lt.-Col. whilst so empld.
[ London Gazette Supplement 1918/7/01 ]
PHOTO 2
TEL (left) in a Lt.-Col. uniform
without ribbons of the orders
and medals, May 1918.
[Photo from Wikipedia Commons]
TEL wrote to Robert Graves in 1927:
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Worked at G.H.Q. Cairo till 1916,...Graded as Staff Capt. General List (actually 2nd Lieut.) Captain about 1916. Major 1917. Lt.Col 1918. Promoted Major in order to be given C.B. for capture of Akaba. Finally graded G.S.O.1.
[B:RG, pp.49-50]
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My Lieut.Colonelcy came in early 1918, to put me on the level with Joyce, who was G.S.O.1 for liaison with Arab Regular Army, as I was G.S.O.1 for liaison with Bedouins―a scheme worked out by Dawnay. It isn't true to say I “accepted” it. I just went on working whatever they called me. My D.S.O. came on your p.279. Dawnay was its sponsor. [B:RG, p.93]
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After the issue of 12 December 1919, we must be very carefully. Supplement to The Gazette of the date says that TEL was no longer “Lieutenant Colonel Lawrence” from 16 October 1918. This meant that he was “Major Lawrence” when he returned home on the end of October. However, this was incorrect again. See the correction of 7 June 1920.
Temp. Maj. T. E. Lawrence, C.B., D.S.O., and relinquishes the temp. rank of Lt.-Col. 16th Oct. 1918.
[ London Gazette Supplement 1919/12/12 ]
On 15th October, TEL left Egypt for England [Wilson, p.571]. The date of 16th in the Gazette was the very next day. This confusion may have something to do with his ‘Tarant rank’, which he had arranged before leaving Egypt (See Colonel Lawernce, a full colonel?).
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When did TEL leave the colours? He wrote a letter to his friend Vyvyan Richards on 1st September 1919 that “I'm out of the army today” [DG, p.280; MB, p.168]. On the other hand, he wrote later that “Demobbed. July 31, 1919” to Robert Graves [1927, B:RG, p.50] and Liddell Hart “Demobilised in July” [1933, B:LH, p.130]. What was the fact?
Temp. Maj. T. E. Lawrence, C.B., D.S.O., relinquishes his commn. on ceasing to be empld., 31st July 1919, and is granted the rank of Lt.-Col.
[ London Gazette Supplement 1919/12/12 ]
It was 31 July 1919, The London Gazette confirmed. TEL was granted to Lieutenant Colonel at the same time, after all. I suggest that TEL wrote the letter to Richards on 1st August, but he carelessly got the month wrong, or, the editors of the Letters were mistaken.
Furthermore, the Gazette prepared a correction of the above notice.
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The date of the relinquishment of his appt., and the temp. rank of Lt.-Col. by temp. Maj. T. E. Lawrence, C.B., D.S.O., is 1st Aug. 1919, and not as in the Gazette of 12th Dec. 1919.
[ London Gazette Supplement 1920/5/11 ]
TEL retired on 1st August 1919, the Gazette revised the date. However, there was another correction later... how complicated!
PHOTO 3
In Lt.-Col. uniform in 1919.
[Photo from Wikipedia Commons]
See another photo of 1919
Imperial War Museum photo (Q 73538)
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The Gazette corrected the date again. This is the last reference to TEL in The London Gazette, as far as I found out. Watch carefully.
The undermentioned to be tem. Lt.-Cols: ―
Whilst specially empld.: ―
Temp. Maj. T. E. Lawrence, C.B., D.S.O., Gen. List, from 16th Oct. 1918 to 31st July 1919. (Substituted for the notification in the Gazette of 13th May 1920.)
[ London Gazette Supplement 1920/6/07 ]
TEL was Temporary Lieutenant Colonel from 16 October 1918 to 31 July 1919 (not 1 August 1919).
In short, TEL was Temporary Lieutenant Colonel continuously from 12th March 1918 to 31 July 1919, so I understand.
TEL wrote on 7 November 1933:
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Somebody in 1919 told me I was not properly commissioned. I do not know or care what that means.
[B:LH, p.194]
It was just like him to say so.
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- ― Military records of T. E. Lawrence in 1914-1919 ― in short
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1914/10/23 Temporary Second Lieutenant (aged 26)
- 1916/05/16 Croix de Chevalier
- 1916/05/20 Temporary Captain (aged 27)
- 1917/06/04 C.B.
- 1917/05/08 Temporary Major (aged 28)
- 1918/04/18 Croix de Guerre
- 1918/03/12 Temporary Lieutenant Colonel (aged 29)
- 1918/05/13 D.S.O.
- 1919/07/31 Demobilised (aged 30)
- * the all of the ranks T. E. Lawrence had during the Great War prefixed ‘Temporary’.
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- ♣ APPENDIX ― T. E. Lawrence in WHO'S WHO
Who's Who offers brief biographical outlines of people. They did so as for T. E. Lawrence, who first appeared in the 1920 edition. However, the earliest two entries could not have been written by himself.
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WHO'S WHO 1920 [p.1501]
LAWRENCE, Lt.-Col. Thomas Edward, C.B. 1917; D.S.O. 1918; Archaeologist; Arabic Scholar. Educ.: Magdalen College, Oxford (B.A. 1911). Went to the East, 1914; 2nd.Lieut. 1914; Col. 1917; organaised the forces of the King of the Hejaz against the Turks, 1917; Chevalier Legion of Honour; Croix de Guerre with Palms (C.B.); on staff of Prince Feisal.
- WHO'S WHO 1921 [p.1545]
LAWRENCE, Thomas Edward, C.B. 1917; D.S.O. 1918; Prince of Mecca; Archaeologist; Arabic Scholar. Research Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, 1919. Educ.: Jesus College, Oxford (Scholar); 1st Class Modern History School, 1910; Magdalen College, Oxford (Senior Demy. B.A. 1911); Went to the East, 1914; 2nd.Lieut. 1914; Col. 1917; organaised the forces of the King of the Hejaz against the Turks, 1917; Chevalier Legion of Honour; Croix de Guerre with Palms (C.B.); on staff of Prince Feisal, attended Peace Conference, 1919. Address: All Souls College, Oxford.
After the 1922 edition, they included no information about his orders and medals. TEL himself obviously revised the contents of the entry. Though “Who's Who next year will not have me in it,...” he wrote to G. B. Shaw on August 1922 [DG, p.363], it didn't come true.
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WHO'S WHO 1922 [p.1570]
LAWRENCE, Thomas Edward, Adviser on Arab Affairs, Middle East Division, Colonial Office, since 1921; Research Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, 1919. Educ.: Oxford High School, Jesus College, Oxford; 1st Class Modern History School, 1910; Magdalen College, Oxford (Senior Demy. B.A. 1911). 2nd Lieut. 1914; British Delegation, Peace Conference, 1919. Address: Middle East Division, Colonial Office, S.W.1.
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WHO'S WHO 1923 [p.1604]
LAWRENCE, Thomas Edward, Research Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, 1919; b. Wales, 15 Aug. 1988. Educ.: Oxford High School, Jesus College, Oxford; Magdalen College, Oxford (Senior Demy. B.A. 1911); assistant in the British Museum's excavation of Carchemish on the Euphrates, 1910-14; 2nd Lieut. 1914; Major, 1917; Lt.-Col. 1918; attached to Staff of Gen. Sir F. Wingate, Hejaz Expeditionary Force, 1917; transferred to Gen. Allenby's Staff, 1918; British Delegation, Peace Conference, 1919; Adviser on Arab Affairs, Middle East Division, Colonial Office, 1921-22.
The following is the final version for TEL, in Who Was Who, added with his date of his death, and three of publications.
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- WHO WAS WHO 1929-1940 [p.1226]
SHAW, Thomas Edward; Research Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, 1919; b. Wales, 15 Aug. 1888; changed name to Shaw by Deed Poll, 1927. Educ: Oxford High School, Jesus College, Oxford; Magdalen College, Oxford (Senior Demy. B.A. 1911); assistant in the British Museum's excavation of Carchemish on the Euphrates, 1910-14; 2nd Lieut. 1914; Major, 1917; Lt.-Col. 1918; attached to Staff of Gen. Sir F. Wingate, Hejaz Expeditionary Force, 1917; transferred to Gen.Allenby's Staff, 1918; British Delegation, Peace Conference, 1919; Adviser on Arab Affairs, Middle East Division, Colonial Office, 1921-22. Publications: The Seven Pillars of Wisdom (for private circulation). 1926; Revolt in the Desert, 1927; The Odyssey of Homer, 1935; Crusader Castles, 1936; Oriental Assembly (ed. by A. W. Lawrence), 1939.
(Died 19 May 1935.)
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- ♣ Colonel Lawrence, a full colonel?
PHOTO 4
TEL in khaki in 1919.
There is the crown and one star on his left shoulder... or two stars?
[Photo from The Life of T.E.Lawrence]
PHOTO 5
Wearing an Arab headdress, with the crown and two stars on his shoulder?
[Photo reproduced from Malcolm Brown, T. E. Lawrence, New York University Press, 2003, p.101]
PHOTO 6
Lt.-Col. T. E. Lawrence
with the crown and only one star on his shoulder.
[Photo reproduced from NPG Catalog, p.128]
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Colonel Richard Meinertzhagen made interesting mentions of TEL in his diary during the Paris Peace Conference.
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Why Lawrence is a colonel? Nobody knows. He wears the badges of rank of a full colonel. Why? I must ask him. Possibly one of his poses.*
[note] * He had been made a temporary Colonel by Alleby to enable him to travel home in comfort from Egypt.
[9 February 1919, Middle East Diary 1917-1956, Thomas Yoseloff, 1960, p.30]
It is said that Middle East Diary included full of untrustworthy evidences, because Meinertzhagen altered his diary for publication. Apart from that, TEL may have been capable of doing such a thing. Some people may say that TEL actually wears a full Colonel uniform in photos such PHOTO 4 or PHOTO 5 (See left), some may say it's doubtful. Anyway, I could found only one photo [PHOTO 6] of TEL showing his shoulder's badge clearly indeed, during the Paris Peace Conference.
On the other hand, Ralph H. Isham wrote that TEL wore Lieutenent-Colonel uniform when they met in the summer of 1919 in London. TEL was
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...in a very new uniform, which bore no ribbons; presumably he had missed active service...
About this time I caught sight of the insignia of Lieutenent-Colonel on his uniform. [Friends, p.294]
Anyway, the followings are TEL's explanation about his temporary full colonelcy when returned home in October 1918.
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My odd pip, to full Colonel, came when I wanted to return to England after Damascus. I went to G.H.Q. and asked for the promotion. They were surprised. I explained it was to get a berth on the Staff train through Italy. So they told me to put it up―special, temporary, and acting. I called it “Taranto rank”.
[TEL to Robert Graves, 1927, B:RG, p.93]
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Sleeping berths were given only to full colonels and upward. I travelled with Chetwode, with the local (Allenby-conferred) rank of colonel: and was so was comfortable. I like comfort! Troop trains took 8 days―and the Wagon-Lits Express only 3.
[TEL to B. H. Liddell Hart, 1933, B:LH, p.165]
An American journalist Lowell Thomas wrote an amusing incident when Lawrence in full colonel uniform passed through Marseilles in With Lawrence in Arabia. You can read the 1924 Hutchinson edition on the Web [see pp.255-256].
Oddley enough, Captain T. Henderson (1895-1945) wrote that TEL had removed his ‘crowns’ from his shoulder straps and reduced himself in rank to a Lieutenant at Tarant [!] in 1919 [Friends, p.161].
Incidentally, an which-one-is-senior?-episode of the R.T.O. (Railway Transportation Officer) of a Lieutenant-Colonel in Thomas' book is quite similar to the A.P.M. (Assistant Provost Marshal) of a Major story written by Captain Henderson [Friends, p.162]. TEL at the age of 31 did not look like a Colonel without doubt.
I add here that I found no record on TEL's full Colonelcy in The London Gazette. It must have been very special, temporary, and acting rank.
ver.1.01 SEP-2013 / 2.00 DEC-2013
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