Captioned: ‘Fl/Lt D.F. Anderson, Aircraftsman T.E. Shaw (Col. Lawrence). In "Wapiti" at Lahore after flying from Risalpur. Circa 1928.’ // RAF Museum.
D.F. Anderson [left in photo] was David Forgham Anderson, who, during the Kabul Airlift operations, had been tasked with evacuating British and European diplomatic staff and their families between 23rd December 1928 and 25th February 1929. It was also around this time that T.E.’s “anonymity” finally fell away after several months of rumour and the international press concocting deliberately suspicious misrepresentations of his presence and activities in the North-Western Frontier (a whole other story in itself: for ease & quickness a small summary is on pp. 631-636 of Garnett’s ‘Letters…’).
After this, a dismayed T.E. was soon flown from Miranshah to Lahore on January 8th 1929; to Karachi the next day, and by the 12th was on board S.S. Rajputana, heading home.
Though the addition of ‘circa’ must be accepted as rather loose in its accuracy, if the info on the caption is to be believed, then this grainy image is not linked to T.E.’s own ‘evacuation’ but of a time before. It would indeed suggest he visited Lahore at least on more than one occasion prior to it being a stopover en route back to England. I do wonder what adventures this flying excursion brought for the two men that day? (I imagine nothing to do with this article, some of which is so bizarre that it merits no more air-time than me sharing the link.)
Labelled as: ‘Lawrence or Shaw taken with officers at Thal fort, Waziristan, whom he was visiting as friends.’ // Jeremy Wilson Archive on X
In any case, contrary to the letters which suggested his days spent in Miranshah were restricted and quiet, and (as was declared to E.M. Forster) “an idyllic two and a half months,” T.E. most definitely took opportunities to visit friends/fellow officers, which the above photo suggests.
“We are not allowed beyond the barbed wire by day, or outside the fort walls by night. So the only temptations of Miranshah are boredom and idleness. I hope to escape the first and enjoy the second…”
The Letters of T.E. Lawrence. No. 362, p.614.
I almost see the hint of a knowing smile in this photo, and sense that T.E. succeeded in both these objectives.
