Lawrence of Arabia and more genuine Lying Bastards:
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill famously said, “Truth is often the first casualty of war“. Hard to argue with that. But, rather ironically, he never said any such thing. This post is loosely about the lies that pervade our lives and surround us. It is easy to state that social media has made it worse. Lying in war, and propaganda for military or political purposes, has always been part of human history. For example, Ancient Roman General Julius Caesar, left us substantial war diaries. Fascinating reading, but they contain mostly lies: the political self-seeking propaganda of its day. I discussed Julius in my previous, ‘Destruction, Lust, Philosophers, Fascists, and Arseholes‘, available by following this link.
My story is based on several hours only. The morning of 1st October 1918, in the Syrian village of Damascus. Events that still resound and echo to this day. There are only two main characters in my story. The famous Lawrence of Arabia, and the totally unknown Australian Lighthorse Officer, Major Arthur Charles Niquet Olden.
Thomas Edward Lawrence – Author and Hollywood Action Star.
1 October 1918, Lawrence and his Arab irregular forces fought their way into and liberated Damascus. Thomas described it all in his autobiography, ‘Seven Pillars of Wisdom‘.
A Hollywood block buster movie tells the same story. It’s a great ripping yarn. Action, violence, panoramic scenes of glory, history and epic calvary charges complete with Arabic scimitar.
Who was Thomas Edward Lawrence?
Thomas Edward Lawrence was a British archeologist, army officer, diplomat and author who became renowned for his role in the World War 1 Palestine Campaign, 1915-1918. Lawrence most famously created guerilla forces from largely nomadic Arab desert tribes. With the support, logistics and substantial funding from Britain, his forces contributed to victory.
A difficult relationship with truth.
Thomas’ birth circumstances gave him a complex relationship with the truth. He was actually born a bastard. His father an English/Irish aristocrat, his mother, the live in teaching governess to his Baron father. His father abandoned his first family and lived the remainder of his life with his mother. They had five children together. Seeking anonymity, they adopted ‘Lawrence‘ as a surname. Lawrence was the name of the family, Thomas’ grandmother worked for, when outside of marriage, she gave birth to his mother.
While six-foot, three-inch Peter O’Toole cut a towering figure as the lead in the 1962 blockbuster ‘Lawrence of Arabia’, the real Lawrence was only five feet, five inches tall (165CM). His small stature disguised a driven personality of quite extraordinary physical endurance. Lawrence had an ability to live with, and ride alongside Arabic nomadic bands who were born mobile in the desert.
In 1914, the British military has employed Lawrence on an archaeological expedition of the Sinai Peninsula. A research trip that was actually a cover for a secret military survey of territory possessed by the Ottoman Turks. Once World War I began, Lawrence joined the British military as an intelligence officer in Cairo. He worked a desk job for nearly two years before being sent to Arabia in 1916 where, in spite of his nonexistent military training, he helped to lead battlefield expeditions and dangerous missions behind enemy lines.
On 13 May 1935, Lawrence was fatally injured in a motorcycle accident, he was 46.
Australian Lighthorse Officer, Major Arthur Olden.
Major Arthur Charles Niquet Olden, was a registered Australian dentist prior to World War 1. He joined the West Australian Mounted Infantry, Australian Military Forces, as a second lieutenant in January 1913. In 1924 he went to the Reserve Officer List and practiced the dangerous life of a suburban dentist.
Arthur landed at Gallipoli on 20 May 1915. He was subsequently twice wounded. One of these probably saved his life. Whilst recovering from this second wound in August 1915 Gallipoli, 600 Australian Light Horseman conducted a bayonet attack on the Turkish line in the infamous ‘Nek Battle‘. Within five minutes 400 Lighthorseman are dead, others terribly wounded. Arthur suffered what we would call ‘survivor’s guilt‘, which may explain his performance in Palestine – His way of honouring the boys he lost. The ‘Nek Battle’ is one of the greatest tragedies of Australian history, nevertheless it’s a compelling read. A detailed account is available by clicking this link.
In September 1918, when the 10th Lighthorse led the Australian Mounted Division in ‘The Great Ride‘ to encircle the Turkish armies in Sharon and Samaria, Major Olden was in command as temporary lieutenant-colonel. His cavalry work, like his earlier mounted infantry exploits, showed a fine balance of dash and caution. Olden captured the Syrian town of Jenin with a splendid charge by 500 Aussie Troopers and captured 8107 prisoners and five field-guns. Major Olden was awarded the Distinguished Service Order.
Death of a largely unknown Aussie Hero.
He died of hypertensive vascular disease on 5 October 1949, he was 68.
Lawrence of Arabia – What a lying bastard!
On the evening of 30 September 1918, Lawrence was wandering the British lines outside the besieged Damascus. He can’t sleep, he never slept much. The British have promised that Lawrence and his Arabic forces will in the morning take Damascus. Can they, do it? It’s the culmination of the strategy they have worked on for years. The first step in ensuring Arab independence from the Ottoman Empire. As for the British, we will deal with them latter. See the lies are already starting to be exposed.
And what of these Australians? War is just sport to them. Will they take Damascus, just because they no doubt can? What if the Arabs fail and the Lighthorse become the liberators, our strategy in ruins.
Lawrence knows well my Countryman. It was indeed the Australian Lighthorse’s audaciously successful charge and storming of Beersheba, a year previously, that has started the collapse of the Ottomans. Now the Australian’s are everywhere, clowning around as usually. I don’t think this lying bastard thought much of these men from Downunder who had sacrificed so much so far in this War:
“These Australians, shouldering me in unceremonious horseplay, put off half our civilization. They were dominant to-night, too sure of themselves to be careful: and yet: as they lazily swaggered those quick bodies, all curves with never a straight line, but with old and disillusioned eyes: and yet: I felt them thin-tempered, hollow, instinctive; always going to do great things; with the disquieting suppleness of blades half-drawn from the scabbard. Disquieting!”
Thomas Edward Lawrence. Seven Pillars of Wisdom.
Every Bastard is Lying.
Thomas Edward Lawrence, better known as ‘Lawrence of Arabia’, well he could bull shit with the best of them. His book is frequently self-seeking camel shit. More irony, given the books title, ‘The Seven Pillars of Wisdom‘. There must have been something in the Middle East water, because everyone was lying. The British Government led Lawrence’s Arab force, to believe they would receive independence in return for helping to destroy the Ottoman Empire.
Lawrence used this concept, and liberal doses of British gold sovereigns, to build his guerilla forces. However, previously in 1916, Britain and France created the ‘Sykes–Picot Agreement‘ to mutually carve up and occupy the former Ottoman Empire, no mention of Arab independence. Lawrence actually knew the factual intent, obviously kept it from his Arab leadership.
So, what actually happened in Damascus on 1 October 1918? The Australian Light Horse happened!
‘Up rides a Trooper mounted on his…’, well many troopers mounted on mongrel Aussie Walers.
British forces had Damascus more or less surrounded, but German and Turkish forces are escaping via an unblocked road to Aleppo. Major Arthur Charles Niquet Olden was ordered to ride around Damascus and block the retreat. The going is tough, and the horses are exhausted. He adopts the simple expedient of cantering his detachment through the centre of Damascus. Calvary swords and bayonets held high and flashing sharply in the sun. The horses steel shoes striking sparks of the ancient pavements. It’s a gamble, but they punt their audaciousness.
Major Olden knows the German and Turkish forces have been withdrawing, but many are still here. Certainly, senior German and Turkish Officers, have long since skedaddled. They had acted similarly last year at Beersheba, upon realizing that these Aussie Lighthorseman really were going to cavalry charge the cannon and machine guns of that town’s defense. But the Australian’s respect the Turkish soldier, they know even an abandoned rear guard is capable of vicious resistance. I’m thinking about now the good Major was questioning his own audacious plan.
Investigating a large crowd outside the Hall of Government, Major Olden dismounts and with two officers, .45 Revolvers in one hand, cavalry swords in the other they gingerly enter. His troopers remain outside and are so concerned they brew up!
What was the Skipper’s Officer Business?
Major Olden and his two officers enter an imposing Town Hall, up a grand two century old staircase. They enter a richly decorated room, pistols cocked, swords raised, they encounter a room full of dignitaries in fabulous uniforms, suits, ties, and traditional head dress.
Expecting someone else, thinks Major Olden? Indeed, perhaps they were expecting Lawrence and his Arab forces. Regardless the mood changes quickly to welcoming these ‘British’ officers. Perhaps they actually wanted British liberators in preference to Lawrence and Co? Lawrence always exaggerated the extent of Arabic unity. Yes, Arab self-determination and independence provided a promise of unification, but everyone has separate interests and loyalties – Everyone was a lying bastard!
Or perhaps the dignitaries simply looked out the window and observed Major Olden’s support cast. Thirty of the toughest soldiers in the Palestine combat zone. Battle hardened troopers who had been through hell and would keep going – And I’m only speaking of the Lighthorse Walers, the mongrel Aussie warhorse!
Major Olden edits a speech and changes historic paperwork.
The Ottoman appointed Govenor of Damascus, Emir Said, grandson of the Sultan of Algiers, approaches Olden and commences a flowery speech in Arabic, to which the Major responds:
“The British will be here soon; it is to them you should make such speeches. They love that kind of thing. I’m an Australian”
Major Arthur Charles Niquet Olden. 1st October 1918. Damascus.
Having received his first lesson in the laconic culture of these strange lads from Downunder, the Govenor bows and presents a pre-written surrender document. Olden will accept the surrender, but insists the document is changed. History will now and forever record that Damascus actually surrendered to the Australians of the 10th Lighthorse Regiment. Upon seeing this document, Lawrence grinds his teeth in despair. There is never just a humble dentist when you need one! Disruption of Lawrences’ strategy! Disruption is a constant theme in history. You can read my Post on Disruption by following this link.
Olden and his officers, pistols now holstered, swords sheathed, return to their troopers. Showing them the surrender document, he says:
“I’m in the line of Rameses of Egypt, Alexander the Great, and Napoleon of France.”
Major Arthur Charles Niquet Olden. 1st October 1918. Damascus.
Troopers cheer, Walers whinny, but also stamp their hooves. A reminder to the human troopers, enough shenanigans, we have work to do! They simply ride off to complete their actual mission. As an Australian, it’s hard not to love the Aussie War Horse of WW1, the Waler. Iv’e previously written about them. You can follow this link to discover one of the greatest, Bill the Bastard.
Where is Lawrence of Arabia? Perhaps his Rolls Royce broke down?
What were the conditions like as Major Olden commenced his audacious move through Damascus? Well, the streets are deserted, markets closed, Turkish rearguard forces still very much in dominance. At one point the small detachment encounters a Turkish regiment, hunkered down in their barracks. Rifle fire cracks past the heads of Aussie troopers. And the Australian response? As it always was since Beersheba, swords drawn, forward at the gallop, Charge!
Henry Gullet, A Lighthorse trooper present that morning, describes, the Turkish response:
“For a moment the enemy decision was in the balance. But the sight of the great Australian horses at the gallop, flashing swords, and the ring of horseshoes, turned the scale.”
Henry Gullet. 10th Lighthorse Regiment.
As Major Olden trots forward to his date with history, other Australian forces enter Damascus. There is no more shooting, well if you exclude the local Arabs who are now expressing their joy by blazing away at the heavens. Yes, Lawrence does arrive some hours later in a Rolls Royce. By which time Australian forces have secured thousands of prisoners and controlled Damascus. There is little if any fighting, as the brave Turkish rear guard, having watched their officers previously skedaddle, have had more than enough.
Damascus opens like a flower. Markets spring open for business; we know these Australians are a hungry and ‘thirsty’ lot! Australian troopers are sprayed from balconies with champagne, perfumes, flowers and confetti. As Major Olden leads his contingent out of Damascus, the greatest risk is being hit by a rose petal, or perhaps puffing on the strong Turkish cigars that rain down upon them.
Lawrence Arrives -The Lying Bastards go to work.
We found Lawrence on the evening of 30 September 1918, outside Damascus, he is being manhandled by dominating, thin-tempered, and disquieting Australian Lighthorse troopers. His mind is on the 4,000 Rualla tribesman he had that night sent into Damascus. Thomas describes their function in ‘Seven Pillars of Wisdom’ – To prepare the political way for Lawrence’s arrival in the morning. This is complete bullshit, more of Lawrence being a lying bastard!
British forces have Palestine blockaded. Unless off course they are using the northern road from Aleppo. In which case they would be moving against the desperate retreat of German and Turkish forces. 4,000 tribesman is a huge number to simply be overlooked. It’s also a very big number of ‘diplomats’ to be sent on what Lawrence himself describes as something like a fifth column political operation. No fighting occurred in Damascus on this evening, though certainly the Ottoman forces were still in command, if ever increasingly reluctantly.
We have a reliable source to disapprove Lawrence’s claim. General Sir Henry George Chauvel, commander of the Australian Lighthorse, was himself present that evening and said:
“If any of Lawrence’s forces entered that night, they were unrecognizable to us. I am personally of the opinion that the first Arab forces followed Lawrence in the next day. By which time Lighthorse elements had taken the surrender off, and an entire Brigade had passed right through Damascus.”
General Sir Henry George Chauvel. Letter to the Director Australian War Memorial 1936.
October 1st, 1918 – Damascus. Lawrence ‘fights’ his way in.
Lawrence spent much time driving around in this particular Rolls Royce, his own personal vehicle that he had ‘liberated’ in Cairo. In ‘Seven Pillars‘ he is also frequently an occupant of one of several British armoured cars. None of that should hide the fact that he showed great courage and endurance on his many horse and camel mounted exploits behind Ottoman lines, blowing trains and bridges. However, no such reliance on vehicle transport is portrayed in the Hollywood movie that carries his name. Lawrence is more frequently to be shown leading great cavalry charges and wielding a scimitar – Such things never happened. Hang on! Someone did such things – The Australian Lighthorse.
‘Seven Pillars’, describes the reception Thomas experienced as he ‘marched’ into Damascus, hours after Major Olden’s Lighthorse visit, and seemingly unaware of events of that morning:
“When we came in there had been some miles of people greeting us, now there were thousands for every hundred then. Every man, woman and child in this city of a quarter-million souls seemed in the streets, waiting only the spark of our appearance to ignite their spirits. Damascus went mad with joy. The men tossed up their tar-bushes to cheer, the women tore off their veils. Householders threw flowers, hangings, carpets, into the road before us: their wives leaned, screaming with laughter, through the lattices and splashed us with bath-dippers of scent.”
Thomas Edward Lawrence. ‘Seven Pillars of Wisdom’. 1926.
Lawrence clearly presented the reception as a response to the arrival and ‘liberation’ of Damascus by his forces, we now know different. In consequence of the official Australian War Record, it’s reasonable to say that lying bastards really got to work!
Lawrence the Liberator – Well he immediately starts a brawl!
Lawrence eventually arrived at the Town Hall, the scene of Major Olden’s historic actions that morning. However, this time there would be no gracious bows, no attempt at speeches. Lawrence describes what happened immediately upon his arrival:
“In the cleared space were Auda abu Tayi and Sultan el Atrash, chief of the Druses, tearing at one another. Their followers bounded forward, while I jumped in to drive them apart; crashing upon Mohammed el Dheilan, filled with the same purpose.
Auda was too blind with rage to be fairly conscious. We got him into the great state-hall of the building; an immense, pompous, gilded room, quiet as the grave, since all doors but ours were locked. We pushed him into a chair and held him, while in his fits he foamed and shouted till his voice cracked, his body twitching and jerking, arms lunging wildly at any weapon within reach, his face swollen with blood, bareheaded, the long hair streaming over his eyes.”
Lawrence of Arabia. 1st October 1918. Damascus.
By comparison the surrender of Damascus to Major Arthur Charles Niquet Olden, and his Australian Lighthorse was a civilized affair. And Lawrence called my Countryman ‘Thin-tempered”!
Conclusion to Lying Bastards:
This is the end of my story, a few hours in world history. However, the lying bastards were just getting started. All along Lawrence had been working with Faisal I bin Al-Hussein bin Ali Al-Hashemi, the son of The Sharif of Mecca. Faisal desired to be King of all we would think of as Palestine, Israel, Lebanon and Syria. Faisal had been double dealing with the British and the Ottomans throughout the Great War. As late as March 1918, when Germany’s Summer Offensive smashed the Allied Front in France, Faisal had accepted an offer from the Ottomans and Germany to rule as their vassal. The Summer Offensive failed! Besides, Germany and the Ottomans were lying to Faisal – Who would have thought!
By 4th October 1918, Faisal and Lawrence have dispensed with the Ottoman appointed Govenor of Damascus, Emir Said. They know well that the Algerian Empire also has been lying as it eyes the Damascus prize. Faisal finally reigns as he desires. With Lawrence’s assistance he commences to consolidate his Kingdom by diplomacy with France and Britain. Diplomacy is obviously a diplomatic description of self-seeking men meeting and pretending they are not all lying bastards. All goes well until it doesn’t! On 24 July 1920, the French destroy Faisal’s forces in the Battle of Maysalun and Faisal is expelled from Syria.
Closing thoughts:
On 23 August 1921, the British Government make Faisal the King of the newly created Iraq. Hard to believe, but the British are swayed by the arguments of no other than Lawrence of Arabia! King Faisal reigns until his death by heart attack on 8 September 1933, he is 48 years old.
Remember on the evening of 30 September 1918, Lawrence was wandering the British lines outside the besieged Damascus? Complaining of the dominating, cocksure Lighthorseman, and their lazy swaggering quick bodies, and disillusioned eyes. Seems he had time for a rum or three with Australian Lighthorse General Sir Henry George Chauvel. Chauvel asked Lawrence, “How do you and Faisal propose to govern with this mob of Arab Guerillas?
Lawrence simply replies:
“Shoot them for all I care, we don’t need them anymore”!
Thomas Edward Lawrence. 30 September 1918. Damascus.
So, the point of my story?
To end with something Winnie actually said:
