#edward marsh

[broughinferior]

Here, T.E. Shaw is photographed on board the troopship H.M.T. Derbyshire in January 1927, on his way to the posting in India. The journey was, apparently, quite unpleasant, as the abridged excerpt below attests.

"The wash of the water, the Derbyshire swaying in a long slow swell, going over so far, swinging back: ever and again going further, with a muffled musical clash of crockery far away in her depths, oscillating back again -- now and then an upward heave, and the slow sinking back. My eyes began to swim, and to see gassy clouds in the corridor, between the blobs of the dim safety lamps. They twinkled so electric blue. Wave upon wave of the smell of stabled humanity [...] Belches of gas come back up my throat -- hullo, I'll be sick if I stay here for ever..."

The Letters of T.E. Lawrence. No. 292, p. 502.

Later, on February 2nd, T.E. writes to Edward Marsh from Karachi:

"The voyage out on a trooper (H.M.T. Derbyshire) was something vigorous in the way of experience. Your improper department has ruled that at sea three airmen can be packed into the airspace of two sailors. Kindly meant, no doubt, to keep us warm and comfortable. But in the Red Sea and the Gulf, we grew sick of each other's smell."

The Letters of T.E. Lawrence. No. 295, p. 505.

Finally, the wonderful image of T.E. exists online, but not (as far as I can find) in any higher quality. So, here we go.

[Edit: 19/12/24 // Magdalen College Archives.]

[corallapis]

Eddie Marsh as St. Sebastian from Cynthia Asquith’s Diaries, 1915-1918

[macrolit]

Literary history that happened on 20 September

[yourdailyqueer]

Sir Edward Marsh (deceased)

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Gay

DOB: 18 November 1872  

RIP: 13 January 1953

Ethnicity: White - British

Occupation: Polymath, translator, scholar, civil servant

[thefoxhuntingman]

Robert Graves to Edward Marsh, 24 February, 1916

[corallapis]

Excerpt from a letter by Eddie Marsh to Rupert Brooke, May 16th 1913:

Dearest Rupert. There is nothing in the world duller than a travel letter written by me — but I expect this is nearly my last chance of catching you before you start So I must send you a few last words. Do take care of your precious self + have a glorious time, to make up to me for your not being in England ! + try not to stay away too long. I shall feel the want of you.

[thefoxhuntingman]

Robert Graves to Edward Marsh, 12 July, 1917 (on Siegfried Sassoon’s protest)

[thefoxhuntingman]

This afternoon I had a sort of waking dream about meeting and making friends Rupert [Brooke]; it was absolutely vivid and I feel now I know him ten times better than before. We talked poetry most of the time and he said, amongst other things, that it wasn’t so bad being dead as you got such splendid opportunities of watching what was happening. The thing ended by your Grey’s Inn housekeeper appearing, whereupon Rupert went up and had a bath and I saw him no more.

Robert Graves to Edward Marsh, 26 July 1916