T. E Lawrence in April 1918 The road to 1918: the road Unaware of how badly things were going elsewhere, Damascus Lawrence set out to fulfil his part of Allenby’s plan. Marking the extraordinary 30 March – Guweira [Al Quwayrah / El Quweira] trials, triumphs and to Damascus tribulations of T. E. Lawrence 1 April – Khabr el Abid [a now unknown waterhole] in the last year of the First 2 April – Aba el Lissan [Abu al-Luson / al-Lasn] World War, month by month, April: it all unravels ‘I rode off from Aba el Lissan, with Mizruk. ... Near in the British army alongside sunset the [railway] line became visible ... There was the Arabs fighting in the deserts of the Middle East; always a little thrill in touching the rails which were the when the legend of Lawrence target of so many of our efforts.’ of Arabia was born. Allenby’s eastward thrust across 3 April – Aneyza [Unayzah / Onaziza] The British Empire, with support the Jordan fails as do Arab raids in 4 April – Wadi el Jinz [probably Wadi Maghar] from many Arabs, was fighting against the Turkish Ottoman support. Calls for reinforcements 5 April – Wadi el Hafir [15km N of Disah / W Rum] Empire, allies of the Germans ‘A fourth easy march took us to Atara ... We would, and the Austro-Hungarians. for the Western Front lead to when ready, cross the line to Themed ... move to This series of leaflets covers Allenby being stripped of many Madeba, and fit it as our headquarters, while Allenby the months leading up to the put the Jericho-Salt road in condition. We ought to link capture of Damascus from the of his best units. up with the British comfortably without firing a shot.’ Turkish army at the beginning of October 1918, which effectively 6 April – El Atara, etc [a cluster of 4 Wadi Attarat(s)] signalled the end of the war ‘At last news came that the English had taken Amman. in the Middle East: the formal Armistice with the Ottoman In half an hour we were making for Themed, across the A Jiddah street scene deserted line. Later messages told us that the English Turks was signed at the end of were falling back ... A further message reported how October. the English had just fled from Salt. This was plainly Some dramatic reversals of contrary to Allenby’s intention, and I ... sent Adhub fortune in the final year of the ... to Salt ... asking for a note on the real situation.’ campaign took their toll on The reply came that the Turks had retaken Salt, and Lawrence’s already strained nerves. This, and his feelings were now hanging those local Arabs who had been of guilt around what he saw bold enough to welcome the British forces; a lesson to as the betrayal of his dreams others. ‘We slipped off, bemused, to the Atatir again.’ of a pan-Arab empire during ‘It seemed a pity to be at a loose end so near to the complex post-war peace Amman, and not bother to look at it. So Farraj and I negotiations, eventually caused hired three [local] women, wrapped ourselves up like the breakdown that brought him them, and strolled through the village. The visit was Entering Damascus in due course to seek solitude at successful, though my final determination was that the Clouds Hill. place should be left alone.’

Copyright © 2018 National Trust The dates and places in bold [with modern Map, quotes and photos: Seven Pillars of Wisdom, published in 1926; transliterations where it helps] are taken from Lawrence’s personal account of his role in the Great Arab Revolt Appendix 2 of Seven Pillars, in which Lawrence against the Ottoman Empire. Bust photo © John Hammond. records from his diary where he was overnight. The National Trust is a registered charity no. 205846. Design by Pure Glow Media 11 April – Jurf el Derawish [Jurf al Darawish] 18 April – Retm [Wadi Rutum – halt on Hejaz Railway] ‘In the morning, near Wadi el Jinz, we met the ‘I took a car to join Dawnay. ... I drove into his camp Indians ... They seemed just as unhandy with camels above Tell Shahm after midnight ... He had prepared as at first; so not till dusk did we cross the railway. ... Mediterranean Sea operation orders; orthodox-sounding things with I felt restless, and movement fast in the night might zero times and a sequence of movements. ... ‘The cure my mind. So we pressed forward all the chill station will be taken at zero 11.30’ said the scheme darkness, riding for Odroh.’ ... But there it failed, for the Turks, ignorantly and in haste, surrendered ten minutes too soon, and made 12 April – Odroh [Udhruh] the one blot on a bloodless day.’ ‘We noticed gleams of fire to our left ... it might be from about Jerdun. ... Perhaps the station was 19 April – Shahm [Tel ash Shahm – on Hejaz Railway] burning. ... We trotted our fastest, as the sun grew ‘Dawnay’s programme said Ramleh station; but higher in the heavens. .... Summer had come upon ... the position had not been examined. So we us unawares; my seventh consecutive summer in sent down Wade in his armoured car.’ Wade this East.’ ‘searched the building, and found it empty of men. GHQ ‘We heard firing in front, on Semna, the crescent ... We spent the day destroying miles more of the mound which covered Maan. ... Evidently, we had unoccupied line.’ taken the Semna, so we rode towards the new 6 April ‘The third day was to be Mudowwara [Mudawara], position.’ but we had no great hope or force left. The Arabs ‘I asked where Jafaar was. Nuri said that at midnight were gone, Peake’s men too little warlike. ... so we he was due to have attacked Jerdun. I told him 4 April slept the night by our latest capture.’ of the night-flares, which must have marked his 20 April – Ramleh [Ramlah – halt on Hejaz Railway] success. ... messengers arrived reporting prisoners ‘In the morning we set off to look at Mudowwara, and machine-guns; also the station and 3000 rails Cairo driving like kings splendidly in our roaring cars over destroyed. ... Then Nuri told me that the preceding 29-30 April 11 April the smooth plains ... till we were close in and saw dawn he had rushed Ghadir el Haj station and 3 April that a long train stood in the station. Reinforcement wrecked it, with five bridges and 1000 rails. So the or evacuation? A moment afterwards they let fly at southern line was also settled.’ 12 April us with four guns ... we made off in undignified haste ‘Late in the afternoon ... Feisal was on the hill-top, to some distant hollows. Thence we made a wide on the very edge, black against the sun, whose light 14, 23 April circuit ... we blew up the long bridge. Afterwards we ... suffused his head with gold, through the floss-silk 2, 22, 25 April returned to Ramleh, and persevered in destroying of his head-cloth.... He swept me into his tent that 1 April 13 April line and bridges ... while Feisal sent Mohammed al we might exchange news. Feisal had heard from Dheilan against the yet intact stations between our Dawnay more than I knew of the British failure 18 April 5 April break and Maan. ... and so this eighty miles from before Amman; of the bad weather and confusion 19 April 21 April Maan to Mudowwara, with its seven stations, fell and how Allenby had ... made one of his lightning 20 April wholly into our hands. The active defence of Medina decisions to cut the loss. ... Dawnay lay ready at ended ...’ Guweira to start for Mudowwara with all the cars.’ low lying land Markers show 21 April – Disi [Disah – village near Wadi Rum] 13 April – Guweira Lawrence’s mountains over 3,000 ft 22 April – Aba el Lissan; then April 23 – Waheida, 14 April – Waheida [A’wheeda] locations overnight steep side (scarp) of rift valley, and back to April 25 – Aba el Lissan ‘I spent the next days watching operations. ... We over 2,000 ft in places ‘I went down to Akaba, and took a ship for Suez, to were wandering in a Ford car, trying to keep up with discuss future [plans] with Allenby.’ the successive advances.’ Unfortunately supporting Map and quotations are taken from Seven Pillars French artillery ran out of ammunition. ‘There was of Wisdom, chapters 93 and 94. 27 April – in Arethusa [HMS Arethusa II – a fleet nothing to do, but see our men volleyed out of the messenger vessel] en route from Aqaba to Cairo Not all places mentioned remain visible today. railway station again. ... we had failed.’ 29 April – Cairo [rear GHQ and then to forward GHQ]