On August 30, 1922, Lawrence of Arabia arrived at the RAF recruiting office in 4 Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, London to enlist as John Hume Ross. This newspaper report by W E Johns of Biggles fame (1922) appeared in September 1959 (Johns was 66 at the time and died in 1968). Unfortunately it has not been possible to identify the paper in which it appeared.
“If – as it would seem – the enlistment of T E Lawrence into the RAF is to be made an incident of major historical importance, it is time the truth was told.
As chief interviewing officer at the London Recruiting Depot, I handled this case from start to finish.
Ross (Lawrence) was brought to me by Sergeant-Major Gee, who – by a signal – implied that the man was a suspicious character. In co-operation with Scotland Yard, I had in my desk photographs of criminals wanted by the police. Crooks often tried to hide in the Service.
Ross had no papers of identity, so this was my first check on him. He passed it. I then told him that regulations required a reference from his last employer, a moral character one, and his birth certificate. Ross gave me particulars of his birth and went off to get the references. While he was away I checked his birth at Somerset House.
There was no record.
Ross returned with references, which I soon ascertained were forgeries, whereupon Gee showed him the door.
He was soon back, escorted by an Air Ministry messenger with a despatch case. In it was a minute, signed by a very high authority, ordering the enlistment.
I have no doubt that Ross did try in the first place to get in without pulling any strings. Having failed, he went to the Air Ministry.
I accepted the order, of course, but there was still a stumbling block.
I sent Ross to the medical examination room. Squadron-Leader (Medical) Valerie came out and invited me to have a look at the back of the recruit I had sent him.
Ross was naked, and I saw the scars of flogging. Ross would not say how he had got these. The doctors refused to pass as fit a man who was not up to the physical standard laid down.
Upon this, I took the case to the Commanding Officer, who spoke to the Air Ministry. When he finished, he said to me, speaking very seriously: “Watch your step. This man is Lawrence of Arabia. Get him in, or you’ll get your bowler hat.”
I took this information to the doctors.
It made no difference. They refused to sign. The Air Ministry ordered them to sign, whereupon an outside doctor was brought in. He signed, I signed, and Ross was in.
By this time everyone on the station knew who Ross was. Certainly Ross knew that I knew, because I had a long talk with him while he was waiting for the train to take him to Uxbridge.
When he went he left me with the memory of a cold, clammy handshake.
I then rang up Flight-Lieutenant Nelson, my opposite number at Uxbridge, to warn him of who was on the way. For by this time Lawrence was making it clear that he had no time for junior officers and Lawrence himself soon saw to it that everyone knew who he was.”
Flying Officer W E Johns Sept 1959
Ross was quickly outed by the press as Lawrence and he was discharged from the service in January 1923.
For those interested, the following articles gives good account of Lawrence’s rather neglected contribution to flying, and the development and use of aircraft:
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/article/0412lawrence/
https://www.grunge.com/282700/why-lawrence-of-arabia-was-kicked-out-of-the-royal-air-force