Hello! What is your opinion about Lawrence's death? Do you think it was really an "accident" or a planned murder?
This is an easy question. I think it was an accident. This whole murder theory because Williamson set up a meeting in order to get him involved with the fascists is - in my opinion - just pure fantasy. A lot of people think it was just not possible that he would die such a stupid, preventable and unnecessary death, but that makes it so believable to me. Death is mostly ugly and prosaic. Yes, it would have been more romantic if he would have smashed his head in whilst racing an airplane or at least going 150 mpH, but he died because he probably just could not see properly what was coming ahead, maybe he was just thinking of something else, maybe he felt too safe so close to his home and did not pay much attention after slowing down his bike, nobody will ever know. If he had worn modern motorcycle protection he would probably have survived, at least the brain surgeon Sir Hugh Cairns - who actually took the lacerated brain with him to Oxford after TE's death - made motorcycle helmets his mission and probably saved thousands of people. If you are interested in the last movements of TES you should read A.B. Simpson's "Lawrence after Arabia" (it's on academia.edu), he meticulously researched every single move he made that day. Including what he bought at Bovington after posting the telegram to Williamson and mailing off some books to Jock Chambers: two lamb chops, a screwdriver and a paintbrush.
View of Bovington main street facing south, mid-1930s. Left to right: Smith’s general store, Charlie Way’s shoe shop, the butcher’s Dodge and Co., Speed’s hardware store, the Red Garage, C.W. Payne’s barbers. Bovington Post Office was on the right, set back from the road.
