Contents lists
T. E. Lawrence to his mother
Cranwell
20.4.26
It is a long time since I wrote: for two months ago I broke my radius and the right arm has not been very fit for paper-work since. I was starting a car, and the starting handle flew back and hit my wrist on the second turn. The tip of the radius was cracked off, and the wrist dislocated. Now they have put it nearly straight again: but it still cramps me badly after a few minutes in one position holding anything small like a pen or knife. They say that in another month it will be quite fit; though I have lost the power of twisting my hand round very far. It goes about half way now.
Otherwise there is little to tell you, which I have not already said. I'm still very pleased with Cranwell, and am doing exactly what I was doing before. So that's well. My bicycle is rejuvenated, and runs splendidly. I had it overhauled while I was in splints, and it is very fast now: though I do not yet feel inclined to ride more than a hundred or so in the day. Your hot weather will be starting soon (and ours, I hope!): I'm sorry you do not like it. I used to find that the heat gave a delicious sense of weary peace to everything within my reach.
My private book is not finished yet. August probably. It has stood still lately, but I hope to start now. Cape is to publish a fraction of the story in March, 1927. His extra money has enabled me to put more pictures and luxury into the private edition.
Nothing else.
N.
A letter - illegible -from Menon!
I will reply when I can: but have over 80 letters to write before I'm up to date.
| Source: | HL 361-2 |
| Checked: | jw/ |
| Last revised: | 12 February 2006 |
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