The original field books used during the destruction of the Hejaz railway under TE Lawrence in 1917 have made £104,500 ($172,884) at Bonhams London.
The lot led a sale of books, atlases, manuscripts and photographs in London on March 19.
 TE Lawrence severed the Hejaz railway in 1917, hastening the end of the war |
The books belonged to Colonel SF Newcombe (1878-1956), who served alongside Lawrence (1888-1935) during the Arab Revolt - which was fought between the Ottoman Empire and the multitude of tribal and national entities that make up the Middle East.
Britain became involved as a direct result of Ottoman ties to Germany during the first world war. A young officer, TE Lawrence, was among those dispatched to aid the Arabs in the struggle for independence.
During the conflict, the railway was a vital support line to the Ottoman Empire, and was attacked on numerous occasions.
In 1917, Lawrence succeeded in severing it completely, cutting off supplies to Damascus.
The diaries contain a wealth of information on the planning and operation of Lawrence's campaign. Newcombe writes of the bombing: "I took a long time to lay the Electric bomb, which gave them ample time to lay their charges under the rails. After my bomb was ready, Ali fired his rifle & all charges were fired at once".
Also included are entries that bring the situation and participants to life, including Newcombe's constant complaints of a "Very bad tummy ache...".
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