When Lawrence of Arabia came to Cheshire

The Trent and Mersey canal joins the River Weaver via the Anderton Lift, and together they leave the town and meander gently through some of the most peaceful and picturesque countryside in Britain.

Despite being well inland, Northwich was famous for shipbuilding through the years but is no longer.

Isaac Pimblott & Sons was a Northwich boat yard that built small river and ocean craft, including torpedo boats and other warships in the last war. They traded from 1867 to 1974.

The firm of W.J. Yarwood & Sons Ltd, from 1896 to 1966, built 1,000 vessels, including coasters, tugs, river and canal boats and small military ships.

The photograph above shows the RAF Auxiliary ‘Aquarius’ leaving Yarwood’s with Lawrence of Arabia on board en route to Devonport.

In March, 1934, Lawrence turned up in Northwich; he arrived under the name of Aircraftsman T.E. Shaw RAF.

He was one of three representatives of the Air Ministry who were here to supervise trials of the Royal Air Force Auxiliary ‘Aquarius’, built at Yarwood’s dockyard in Navigation Road.

He stayed at the Crown & Anchor Hotel in High Street for three weeks.

‘Aquarius’ eventually made a 9,000-mile maiden voyage to Singapore to serve as a depot ship for flying boats.

Lawrence of Arabia as a colonel in 1918

Later, when Singapore fell to the Japanese in 1942, ‘Aquarius’ escaped and was probably making for Australia.

Lloyd’s War Losses state: “About 14 February 1942, ‘Aquarius’ was sunk off the southeast coast of Sumatra, on board were 60 to 70 persons, of which only three survived, and these also subsequently died.”

Both companies have now gone, although their products can still be found worldwide.

The story of Lawrence of Arabia is a fascinating one.

In the First World War, he reached the rank of colonel in the British army, working with the Arabs.

In 1922 he joined the RAF as a simple aircraftman under the false name John Hume Ross. The following year his false name was discovered, and he was ordered to leave the RAF.

He joined the Royal Tank Corps but petitioned to rejoin the RAF. He was finally readmitted to the RAF in August 1925.

Hence his rank when working in Northwich. He was a keen motorcyclist, and his bike of choice was a Brough Superior SS100.

He faced two young boys on their bicycles when riding over the brow of a hill. The only options open to him were to run into the children or crash the bike; he chose the latter and was thrown over the handlebars.

Sadly, he died of his injuries six days later; he was 46 years old.