Newsletter No 29 - VMCC - Isle of Man

It had been intended to disembark Lawrence at Plymouth, the SS Rajputana’s
first port of call, but the Press were lying in wait, so he was smuggled off to
London. In Feb 1928 he wrote Sir Hugh Trenchard requesting 36 days
overseas leave before taking up his next posting at RAF Cattewater [ later,
largely due to Lawrence, re-named RAF Mount Batten]. He explained “…
Some anonymous people [in fact Mrs Shaw and some other close friends]
have bought and sent to me a motorbike, the current model of the great things
I used to ride. It’s cost is three years of my pay, and I feel pauperized, but I
will try to pay it back to them in time …”.
That same month he wrote Col Newcome “… I am in London with one suit
of plain clothes and two suit of uniform, and a motorbike…”. The same day
he told Henry Williamson, author of ‘Tarka The Otter’ and a North Devon
resident, with whom he had become acquainted after writing a lengthy
critique of the book
“…They have posted me
to Plymouth – so if ever
the frost breaks
[Brrr…Ugh..] a motorbike
will disturb Skirr Cottage.
A horrible bike; but so
beautiful in its owners
eyes and heart! …”.
Lawrence's London residence in Barton St
Page 31
A week later he was still in
London writing plaintively
“... I am frozen in London.
The bike is in Nottingham
[at the Brough factory] and
the roads all ice and snow,
so she cannot travel them.
The first day of melting I
will go up there by train
and ride her down. But
will it ever melt…”.
Once the thaw allowed
him to report there, RAF
Cattewater, Plymouth, was