“Aircraftsman Shaw”

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6667, 21 July 1928, Page 8 (Supplement)

“Aircraftsman Shaw”

COLONEL LAWRENCE, UNCROWNED KING OF ARABIA, NOW f STATIONED AT KARACHI . . TWO AND A HALF YEARS STILL TO SERVE

■■yjrgt-jj *r ..ft nn ; ‘ heen reported that vfjykW/fa/ ■" tU©-renowned Lawrence MB m, Australia ‘ with the [SIWjN&j Royal Air Force sea’plane . squadron, but a visitor from India/doubts. that.. Virtually; -the picturesque, mysterious, almost legendary figure of Colonel Lawrence has destaetf to exist. There remains, however. Aircraftsman Shaw, oft the R.A.F. ; The uncrowned’ King of Arabia is now a private abldjer-in the British Army/ , ;;. ■ .■' • ,On the. roll of ‘‘other ranks” at the R.A.F. depoti-i|t Karachi- occurs the namq ~ , A -C2Shaw.”; That Is the name that -Colonel ;,T. E. Lawrence has' chospn.,, j/'V/V A recent visitor to Sydney knows Shaw personally, and believes that he is still at Karachi. A-C2 Shaw is in jthe orderly room at the depot carfjftpg .put clerical duties relating ‘to'the' work of the R.A.P. there. ’ 'Thereto no' secret as to his real identity,; Everyone knows that he is-Lawrence of Arabia. But. such is the pretty ! tact of flying men, whatever their rank, nobody in the camp is aware of it. A-C2 Shaw is simply A-C2 Shaw;, | v , Shortly after, he *' arrived in India it became known outside that Shaw was in'fact Lawrence, and a leading citizen of Karachi sent him an invitation to dinner, As such functions in the East are surrounded with great pomp and ceremony, A-C2 Shaw replied that as ho was only a mechanic he, naturally did not possess ' dress

not' be able’ to' fly tb New-. Zealand?. Anyway, if that does not come in my lifetime, the fact that 1 cannot fly will not stop me malting, every effort to return. I alwaysrh&ve a, .very warm place in my heart for. New Zealand.”

clothes, and, in conaequence,-woulq be unable-to attend. ■ Life of ‘RatiHjj The visitor who is‘acquainted;/Wlth Shaw and his present plaice in ? the scheme *of things,- saya-tbat he jeads tho normal life of an R.A.F. rating, and has not left the camp forijnore than two years. Absolutely np-i differentiation is made in the treatment which he receives. >; ‘ • ! "Shaw,” the visitor.went bn; “'is a, very quiet and'reserved man, but he is also a good ‘mixer.*. It can truthfully be said that he is beloved hV. all-his comrades in the service. ' “Most of his* time when is spent in writing his a book that must be!—-and ig reyibftlng books sent to him by one of the London journals. His mgil; for one.-bf.his rank, is generally hi very ;lqr|& ;bTO“A little while ago he .preseptd'd a fine gramophone tp- the ratings-, and supplies hundreds of good records. "A-C2 Shaw has about {mother twp and a-half years to serve, in’ Jndla bQfore he returns to one of the bomb establishments.” , f