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T. E. Lawrence — Death
“ The motorcycle passed the car all right. Then I saw the motorcycle swerve across the road to avoid two pedal cyclists coming from Bovington…”
When the 47 year old T. E. Lawrence died at Bovington Military Hospital on May 19th 1935 many secrets died with him, not least a convincing explanation of his motorcycle ‘accident’ six days earlier on the road between Bovington Army Camp and his cottage, ‘Clouds Hill’.
Corporal Ernest Catchpole, of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, based at Bovington, had been out walking his dog when he witnessed the crash and, when giving evidence at the inquest, stated that he had seen a black car travelling in the opposite direction to Lawrence moments before the crash.
“ The motorcycle passed the car all right. Then I saw the motorcycle swerve across the road to avoid two pedal cyclists coming from Bovington. It [the motorcycle] swerved immediately after it had passed the car. I ran to the scene and found the motorcyclist on the road. His face was covered with blood.”
Catchpole then flagged down an army lorry, helped to get the fatally injured Lawrence into the back, and then accompanied the driver back to Bovington Camp.
As soon as Lawrence was admitted to the military hospital Special Branch police officers (and where did they suddenly come from?) guarded the unconscious…
