In the Shadow of the Crescent: Some reading suggestions

INTRODUCTION

Colonel Stewart Francis Newcombe was already a legend in the deserts of Arabia before he was joined in Cairo during the early months of the First World War by a a remarkable team of Middle Eastern specialists. One member of this group was T.E. Lawrence who went on to achieve worldwide fame. Colonel Newcombe's story, like those of other unsung figures in the Anglo-Arabian narrative, has been eclipsed by the legend of ´Lawrence of Arabia´, and has languished in the dusty recesses of regimental records, government files or in the elliptical words of Lawrence’s book Seven Pillars of Wisdom. However, S.F. Newcombe´s untold story is there to be told. IN THE SHADOW OF THE CRESCENT is a story of extraordinary exploits and courage, coupled with Newcombe's own legendary and inexhaustible supply of energy and of remarkable adventures under the very noses of the Ottoman authorities – full of danger, intrigue and perhaps more surprisingly, of romance during Newcombe's captivity in Turkey.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Some reading suggestions

Books by or about T.E. Lawrence would fill a fair-sized library. Recently, in connection with S.F. Newcombe's involvement in the region and its politics, I have been exploring the Israeli narrative of the years that followed the end of the British Mandate - what is in fact an Israeli re-assessment and re-evaluation of the evidence that has brought the region to its current situation. The following is a suggested selection of books on Lawrence and on the region, past and present:

LAWRENCE OF ARABIA by Jeremy Wilson, 1989, William Heinemann Ltd, 0-434-87235-0

This is the authorised biography of T.E. Lawrence, running to more than 1150 pages (with notes) and essential reading for anyone interested in Lawrence, the Middle East and the history of the Arab Revolt during the First World War. Jeremy Wilson continues to publish Lawrence material through his Castle Hill Press in limited editions, typeset to fine-press standards and printed by high-quality printers.

HERO: THE LIFE AND LEGEND OF LAWRENCE OF ARABIA by Michael Korda, 2010, Harper Publications, 978-0-06-171261-6

In contrast, this is the latest biography of T.E. Lawrence published at the end of 2010. It is aimed at a general audience but is nonetheless the first major biography of Lawrence for some years. At least one book on or featuring Lawrence has been published every year since he died in 1935, along with a handful during his lifetime. Korda's biography relies on previous biographies when narrating Lawrence's life story but also brings in other aspects, such as his role as a writer and publisher as well as an assessment of his political ideas for creating a post WW1 Middle East.

LAWRENCE OF ARABIA'S SECRET AIR FORCE by James Hynes, 2010, Pen and Sword Aviation, 978-1-84884-266-3

This book has been discussed in a previous posting (26 August 2010) and was also published in 2010, continuing the consistent publishing history of books on Lawrence.

LIFE AT THE CROSSROADS: A HISTORY OF GAZA by Gerald Butt, 2009, Rimal Publications, 978-9963-610-39-6

A comprehensive yet concise chronicle of Gaza's history from ancient times to the end of the 2008-2009 Israeli war against the territory’s Hamas-led administration. Newcombe knew the town well from before WW1 and praised the Rev. Dr. Sterling of the Church Missionary Society for his medical work in Gaza where the CMS opened the first hospital in the Holy Land in 1907, continuing today as the Al Ahli Arab (Anglican) Hospital. Newcombe's raid behind enemy lines contributed to unlocking the stalemate over the Turkish held Gaza-Beersheba line prior to the Third Battle of Gaza.

PALESTINIAN WALKS: NOTES ON A VANISHING LANDSCAPE, by Raja Shehadeh, 2008, Profile Books, 978-1-86197-899-8

Palestinian Walks was the winner of the 2008 Orwell Prize and covers seven walks that the author, a Palestinian lawyer and writer living in Ramallah, regularly took over a 27 year period, chronicling the different stages of Palestinian history. It is a story that is infused with the author's pain and anger without the excesses of pure polemic. Jimmy Carter wrote: 'Palestinian Walks provides a rare historical insight into the tragic changes taking place in Palestine.' Stewart Newcombe also walked this way - before, during and after the First World War. His experiences took him on paths that were often contrary to the direction of his own government. I would recommend that you walk with Shahedeh and Newcombe to discover an endangered landscape.

The same landscape, this time 'uncovered' by an Israeli, is portrayed in:

SACRED LANDSCAPE: THE BURIED HISTORY OF THE HOLY LAND SINCE 1948, by Meron Benvenisti, 2002, University of California Press, 978-0-520-23422-2

Benvenisti was deputy mayor of Jerusalem from 1971 to 1978 and as a young man accompanied his father, a distinguished geographer, throughout the Holy Land charting a Hebrew map that would rename Palestinian sites and villages (sites and names meticulously charted by Conder, Kitchener, Newcombe and the Palestine Exploration Fund) to correspond with Israel's ancestral homeland. In doing so, Benvenisti's quiet outrage, combined with meticulous scholarship, makes this a formidable critique of the Zionist myth.

"Landscape is the work of the mind," wrote Simon Schama. "It's scenery is built up as much from strata of memory as from layers of rock."

In Sacred Landscape, Benvenisti explains how an Arab landscape, physical and human, was transformed into an Israeli Jewish state.

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BEYOND ARABIA

Colonel Stewart Francis Newcombe of the Royal Engineers was already a legend in the deserts of Arabia before he was joined in Cairo during the early months of the First World War by a group of extraordinary specialists in Middle Eastern affairs. One member of this group was T.E. Lawrence who went on to achieve worldwide fame. Newcombe's story, like those of other unsung figures in the Anglo-Arabian panoply, has been eclipsed by the legend of ´Lawrence of Arabia´, and has languished in the dusty recesses of regimental records, government files or in the elliptical words of Lawrence’s book Seven Pillars of Wisdom. However, Newcombe´s untold story is there to be told. It is a story of extraordinary exploits and courage, coupled with his own legendary and inexhaustible supply of energy. Lawrence was later to describe him in Seven Pillars: 'Newcombe is like fire,' they (the Arabs) used to complain; ‘he burns friend and enemy’.

It is as a loyal friend to Lawrence – a loyalty that remained steadfast to the end – that Newcombe is best remembered. But his own story is one of remarkable adventures under the very noses of the Ottoman authorities – full of danger, intrigue and perhaps more surprisingly, of romance during Newcombe's captivity in Turkey. His post-war work for the Boundary Commission in Palestine and his efforts at securing a lasting peace for his friends in the region have gone largely unrecorded or mis-represented. The aim of this biography is to set that record straight and to help restore Newcombe to his rightful place - recognised among those who played an important part in the Great War during the Palestine campaigns and as someone who made a significant contribution to the peace negotiations with Turkey while under cover in Constantinople. Later, his post-war work helped shape the history and politics of the modern Middle East through his work with the Boundary Commission and his life-long friendship with many of the key personalities within the Arab and Jewish communities. Above all, he should be remembered as someone who contributed to the legends of Arabian exploration through exhaustive survey work in Sinai and Palestine, mapping the past as well as the future.

BEYOND ARABIA is in preparation.

WILLIAM ROBERTS R.A.

William Roberts (5 June 1895 - 20 January 1980) was an English painter and war artist. He was a founder member of the influential Vorticist group, a powerful recorder of the front-line battles of the First World War, and a unique observer of the foibles and activities of Britain at leisure over almost fifty years. In 1922–6 he was commissioned to produce illustrations and decorations for Lawrence's Seven Pillars of Wisdom including this pencil drawing of S.F. Newcombe.

This from William Roberts, Five Posthumous Essays and Other Writings (Valencia, 1990).

"In 1920 Colin Gill, who had been a fellow-student at the Slade, sent me a note saying 'Colonel Lawrence is seeking artists to make portrait drawings for a book he is producing; get in touch with him.' I wrote to Lawrence and as a result I contributed several portrait drawings to 'Seven Pillars of Wisdom,' besides a painting of Lawrence in his Royal Air Force uniform. He sat for this portrait in a room I was using at Coleherne Terrace, Earl's Court. Sometimes if I was late for our meeting I found him sitting on the dark stairs that led to my temporary studio. He lent me during several Summers his small woodman's cottage at Clouds Hill in Dorset."

John Mansfield CREALOCK, R.H.A., 1871-1959

This fabulous oil painting by the artist John Crealock was painted in 1938 when Newcombe was aged sixty and working on proposals for what may be called a bi-nation state in Palestine, with limited and controlled immigration and absorption of Jews according to the physical and economic capacity of the country. Newcombe argued and lobbied this position to whoever in authority would listen. He set up committees to counter-balance the Zionist message, gaining access to high level ministers of state including the Prime Minister. He submitted his evidence to the Palestine Royal Commission, invited guests sympathetic to the cause to the Royal Central Asian Society Dinner Club, of which he was Honorary Secretary, and wrote articles for magazines and periodicals such as The Empire Review under the auspices of the Palestine Information Centre, where he also held the post of Honorary Secretary.

For more information on the artist, please see the blog entry 18 November 2011 entitled, ‘Recently discovered oil painting of Colonel S.F. Newcombe.’

Lawrence and staff at Aqaba

AQABA: Lawrence and his colleagues set up quite decent camping arrangements. With a Persian carpet at its hearth entrance this tent was equipped with beds and rudimentary washing facilities. The guy-lines of the tent were secured with pegs and with the additional weight of a sand bag at each corner, evidence that the weather in the desert could whip up quite a strong wind. Lawrence’s tent also possessed a gramophone player which was put outside on a tall table during the regular gatherings with fellow British officers. A box of records kept the men entertained and one or two pets were introduced for added distraction. Major Scott, base commander at Aqaba, holds a terrier name "Robert". Captain Goslett strokes a saluki named "Shorter".

CHRONOLOGY: Part One

S.F. Newcombe (1878 - 1956)

9 July 1878 - Born at Brecon, Wales.

1886 - Newcombe's father, Edward, dies and he is sent to board at Christ's Hospital School with younger brother Harley.

1893 - Attended Felstead School.

1896 - Enters the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich as a Gentleman Cadet. Awarded the Sword of Honoue at the RMA.

1898 - Commissioned into the Royal Engineers at Chatham.

1900 - Joins the 29th Fortress Company at Cape Town, South Africa.

1901 - Joins the Egyptian Army and posted to Sudan. Reconnoitered route for proposed railway east and west of the Nile.

Queen Victoria dies on 22 January.

1907 - Journeyed to upper waters of the Nile to recon and discuss with Belgians possible rail route from Lado Enclave to Belgian Congo.

1909 - Sends secret report on Alexandretta and Baghdad Railway to the War Office.

1911 - Preliminary survey of railway from Abyssinia to Khatoum.

Leaves Egyptian Army. Short spell in the War Office.

1912 - Longmoor Military Railway Training Camp.

1913 - Begins surveys in area of Beersheba, Palestine.

1914 - Surveys in South West Palestine south to Egyptian border. For six weeks he and his men are accompanied by C.L. Woolley and T.E. Lawrence, two archaeologists from the British Museum. Addresses the 49th Annual Meeting of the Palestine Exploration Fund.

Outbeak of World War 1.

August 1914 - At Compiegne during the retreat from Mons. Successfully blows up the bridge.

Recalled from France he travels with T.E. Lawrence from Marseilles to Alexandria and then onto Cairo by train.

1915 - Appointed as Commander in the 2nd Australian Division Royal Engineers during the Dardenelles campaign.

1916 - Awarded DSO for rescue attempt in a tunnelling operation.

Returns to the Western Front and distinguishes himself during the battle for Pozieres Ridge.

Sherif Hussein of Mecca launches the Arab Revolt.

1917 - Joins T.E. Lawrence in the Hejaz as head of the Military Mission. Commences raids against the Hejaz Railway.

In late October he takes command of a small mobile force and initiates a raid behind enemy lines during the Third Battle of Gaza. His force is overwhelmed and he and his men are taken into captivity.

1918 - Escaped from prison camp at Brusa with assistance from Elizabeth Chaki. Returns to Constantinople to help broker peace negotiations with the Turks.

11 November 1918 - The Armistice comes into effect.

1919 - Briefly joins Lawrence at the Paris Peace Conference.

15 April 1919 - Marries Elizabeth (Elsie) Chaki in the Registry Office at Henrietta Street, Covent Garden and the following day is blessed in a religious service in St. Margaret's in the grounds of Westminster Abbey.

In the Shadow of the Crescent

INTRODUCTION

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Some reading suggestions

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Beyond Arabia, Oxford

Southampton University

NEWCOMBE, ARABIA, 1917

ARTICLES ON THIS WEBSITE

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BEYOND ARABIA

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FEATURED ARTIST No. 1

WILLIAM ROBERTS R.A.

FEATURED ARTIST NO. 2

John Mansfield CREALOCK, R.H.A., 1871-1959

Newcombe's Field Notes

Lawrence and staff at Aqaba

CHRONOLOGY: Part One

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