MTFCA Forum

A very short clip of the famous T.E. Lawrence 'of Arabia' driving a model T at Wadi Rum in the Western Desert in Egypt during World War 1:

https://youtu.be/L-O4qtujxvw

Enjoy while it lasts

Wadi Rum is in Jordan and not in Egypt. If anyone is interested in that part of the world it is well worth the trip, it is amazing. While you are there it is well worth the time to visit Petra. We came back from there on Sunday, it is absolutely beautiful and full of biblical history. Floating in the Dead Sea is fantastic. I have no connection to a travel agency but can give recommendation if anyone is open to a visit. Frank

Looks like a right hand drive. I wonder if it was Canadian or English (Trafford Park)?

You are right Tony, most if not all Ts in the mediteranean theatre were RHD, as most countries in the Near East then were under British rule during and after the first World war, and the Fords for the War Department were supplied by the English Ford factory.
Frank you are absolutely right, my bad, T.E. Lawrence operated in Jordan and the Sinaï desert, i made that mistake because i am (re)reading a book on the WW1 exploits of the Light Car Patrols, who did operate in the Western Desert.
Incredible story about those men, they traveled thousands of miles through uncharted desert country in their model Ts, and surveyed thousands of square miles, making maps with just basic instruments.
One of their COs Claude Williams, invented the Sun Compass, which made it possible to navigate the vast expanses in the first place, as the rotating flywheel magnets of the T made using a normal magnetic compass impossible.
The Sun Compass and the maps made in WW1 later proved invaluable to the Long Range Desert Group under Stirling in their actions in the Western Desert and Libya against the Germans under Rommel in WW2

Here he is, the man who mastered the Western Desert of Egypt (and deep into Lybia when he got a chance)
Capt. Claude H Williams.

This is interesting stuff. I just bought the book "Masters of Mayhem" published in 2018 which I intend to read over the Christmas break.

Cheers,

Manuel in Oz