(TheLibertyRevolution.com)- In an effort to delve into the mystery surrounding the death of Lawrence of Arabia, a filmmaker wants to excavate the site of the World War One legend’s fatal motorcycle crash.
Thomas Edward Lawrence, whose life was immortalized in the film Lawrence of Arabia starring Peter O’Toole, was riding his motorcycle near his home in Dorset in 1935 when he swerved to avoid two boys on their bikes and crashed. He suffered head injuries and died six days later. For years, rumors have swirled that a black car drove into his path, leading some to theorize that the crash was no accident.
Filmmaker Mark Griffin is leading a team of archeologists as well as an historian and a forensic crash investigator to excavate the scene of the crash in hope of finding evidence that might prove the theory that Lawrence was murdered.
Griffin’s recently released biopic, Lawrence After Arabia, questions whether the hero of the Arab Revolt in 1917 died as a result of foul play.
It is Griffin’s contention that Lawrence may have been killed on the orders of the British intelligence services after powerful figures objected to Winston Churchill’s desire to appoint Lawrence to head up the domestic intelligence service.
His excavation team hopes to find metal remnants of Lawrence’s Brough motorcycle and possibly the mysterious black car in order to prove he was assassinated. To do so, they will use special equipment to scan the ground for any debris that might be left over from the crash.
Additionally, researchers hope to review archival material from the inquest and police reports and examine photographs showing the damage to Lawrence’s motorcycle.
While filming his biopic, Griffin claimed that the National Trust, which owns Lawrence’s home, Clouds Hill, was censoring him for refusing to allow him to film from there. The National Trust repeatedly refused his requests to shoot from Clouds Hill, claiming the film “perpetrated conspiracies” about Lawrence’s death.
But Griffin hopes that finding fresh evidence could prove the naysayers wrong and show that Lawrence’s death was “the first state-sponsored murder in Britain.”
Even if Griffin is right, Lawrence’s death wouldn’t be the first state-sponsored murder in Britain. But perhaps Griffin is unfamiliar with Henry II and Thomas Becket.
