Lawrence of Arabia’s long-lost pocketknife up for auction
A 1918 portrait of Lawrence, by James McBey. He is shown wearing an agal headdress – one of which is being auctioned alongside the knife.
A rusted pocketknife that belonged to the legendary Lawrence of Arabia is to go under the hammer next week.
Found in the grounds of Lawrence’s Dorset home, Clouds Hill, the nineteenth century implement has the initials ‘T.E.L.’ – for Thomas Edward Lawrence – burned into the handle, like many of his other possessions.
The knife was initially discovered by a local man in the 1950s, who kept it secret for fear it belonged to Lawrence’s estate. He sold it in the 1990s to the current owner and its existence has only been publicized due to the forthcoming auction .
There is no direct evidence that Lawrence used the knife during the First World War, but as it pre-dates 1914 it is thought that he could have done so.
Also up for sale are a pith helmet – inscribed with the date 1916 – and an agal, part of traditional Arab dress. Both of these items have been previously identified as belonging to Lawrence.
T E Lawrence gained notoriety for his wartime service in the Middle East. He was at first attached to the military intelligence staff as an intelligence officer in Arab affairs, based in Cairo. In 1916, he played a central role in the Arab Revolt against Turkish forces.
The rusted pocketknife – complete with Lawrence’s initials.
Returning to Britain after the war, Lawrence was decorated and feted for his part in the British success in the Middle East.
However, he sought to shun his new-found fame – as ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ – and in the 1920s joined the RAF under a different name.
Lawrence died in 1935, aged 46, following a motorcycle accident near Clouds Hill.
The items will be auctioned on 13 December at Charterhouse auctioneers in Sherborne, Dorset.
Find out more about the life of T E Lawrence in this archived IWM online exhibition
