Four Special Forces veterans have completed a daring 700 mile camel trek across the Nefud Desert in the footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia – and will now scatter sand they collected there on his Purbeck grave.
They were the first to complete the journey on camels since TE Lawrence, Sherif Nasir, Auda Abu Tayi, and Nesib el Bekri did it in 1917 to take Aqaba, a vital port on the Red Sea, to help the Allies in the First World War defeat the Turkish Ottoman forces in eastern Europe.
The team collected samples of sand from Fajer, Al Jawari, Bayir, and Aqaba to scatter on Lawrence’s grave in Moreton, near Wool
TE Lawrence is buried in the graveyard of St Nicholas Church in Moreton, which receives hundreds of visitors a year
90th anniversary of his death
As well as recreating history, the members of the team also took on the challenge to raise awareness for the Special Forces Club Benevolent Fund (SFCBF) which supports veterans and their families who face hardship, illness, and injury.
Along the way, team leader Howard Leedham collected samples of desert sand which will now be brought back to a graveyard at Moreton, near Wool, where Thomas Lawrence is buried.
They will scatter the sands over his grave in honour of TE Lawrence, to mark the 90th anniversary of his death. Lawrence lived for the last 15 years of his life at Clouds Hill cottage near Bovington and died nearby in May 1935 in a motorcycle accident.
Howard Leedham gathered three more volunteers with special service training to make the journey from Al Wajh in Saudi Arabia to Aqaba in Jordan, following the route that TE Lawrence took and immortalised in his autobiography, Seven Pillars of Wisdom.
TE Lawrence pictured, inset, with Nesib El Bekri during the First World War Arab Uprising
“Injuries likely, safe return not guaranteed”
After completing the epic journey on Friday 7th February 2025, Howard Leedham said:
“We replicated the journey taken by British Army officer Lawrence of Arabia in 1917, even using the same watering holes for the camels. We did have modern means of navigation whereas he didn’t, and we did have a dedicated support team bringing up the rear, with a medic, cook, vet and spare camels in tow.
“I put an advertisement out to members of the Special Forces Club, asking for volunteers needed for a hazardous journey, with no wages, baking hot and bitterly cold temperatures, with injuries and ailments likely and safe return not guaranteed.
“Strangely enough, I had more than 40 replies and I chose three to come with me, British and one American ex Special Forces soldiers, who were all novices at riding camels and who had to learn the ropes in 10 days of intensive training.
“I knew it was all about endurance, tenacity and getting the job done and being able to rely on the man on your left and the man on the right to do the right thing when you needed him to.”
Howard Leedham, leader of the expedition, with his trusty camel
“Spat at, bitten and kicked by camels”
Howard Leedham added:
“My biggest concern was rainstorms, which can turn the desert into gullies of water, which would have halted our progress because the camels wouldn’t have been able to get a grip. Fortunately, that didn’t happen.
“By and large, the camels all largely behaved themselves – we took 10 with us so that each one only got ridden for 25 kilometres a day, which is well within their capability.
“In the past, I’ve been spat at, dribbled on, bitten, kicked and thrown off by camels, but they’re a fabulous animal when you get to know them, and they get to know you. There’s a real bond between man and animal. They’re the only animal on earth that can do this.”
The team was on a mission to raise funds for the SFCBF, first launched at the end of World War II to help Special Forces veterans.
It has since continued to support individuals from the Special Forces community who are either ageing, infirm, going through a bad time in their life, ill health or suffering from PTSD, and the team hope that their desert adventure will help raise awareness of the charity.
As the team approached Aqaba, they staged the attack on the Ottoman Hejaz railway
“Admiration for what Lawrence achieved”
One of the team members, Peter Wilson said:
“Our trek isn’t just about retracing history, it’s about giving back. Each step of this journey helps veterans and their families rebuild – we can honour the past and help to build a better future together.
“We also committed to collecting samples of sand from Fajer, Al Jawari, Bayir, and Aqaba during our journey. After the trek, we will all meet again in Dorset to scatter these sands on TE Lawrence’s grave.
“I think most military guys have some sort of admiration or fascination with what Lawrence did, what he managed to achieve was well ahead of his time.
“But we also wanted to recognise the integral part played by Arab leaders Sherif Nasir, Auda Abu Tayi and Nesib el-Bekri who were not portrayed well in the film. Lawrence was fantastic, but then, he wrote the book. This was a chance to put things straight.”
Only Howard Leedham had ever ridden a camel before, so the team needed intensive practise in Saudi before setting off
Former Top Gear presented Richard Hammond joined the team for the last day of the expedition
“Never been recreated since 1917”
Along the route, the team paid tribute to one of Lawrence’s most strategic missions – sabotaging the Ottoman railway and when the group arrived in Aqaba, they were honoured by King Abdullah II of Jordan with ceremonial displays, traditional music and a grand parade.
Former Top Gear presented Richard Hammond joined the crew for the last leg and said:
“This team has recreated Lawrence of Arabia’s famous trek of 1,100 kilometres, which was amazing in 1917 and has never been done since. This is the first time anyone else has ever ridden camels along that epic trek.
“Obviously, they are doing it for a very important reason, and that is to raise money for the Special Forces Club Benevolent Fund, so as they have really put themselves through it I hope that people who read about this will want to donate.”
The memorial to TE Lawrence at the site where he crashed his motorcycle near Bovington
Swerved to avoid two boys on cycles
TE Lawrence moved to Clouds Hill, near Bovington, after the First World War, where his life was cut short at the age of 46 when his Brough Superior motorcycle veered off the road and crashed. He was buried in the nearby graveyard of St Nicholas’ Church, Moreton.
It is believed that he had been riding his motorcycle at high speeds on a wet Sunday morning when he swerved to avoid two boys on cycles and suffered head injuries, from which he died six days later.
A feature film made locally, Lawrence: After Arabia, was written and directed by Mark J.T. Griffin, who has been visiting Wareham and the surrounding area since he was a child.
He has had a lifelong obsession about Lawrence of Arabia – especially over whether his death was something more sinister than a crash.
Mark Griffin on the set of his film Lawrence: After Arabia
“Seemed to me there had been a cover up”
Mark Griffin said:
“I became interested in T.E. Lawrence when I was very young – I read about him and visited the places he was connected to around Dorset.
“Of course I saw David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia with Peter O’Toole and some years later the film Dangerous Man with Ralph Fiennes. I always felt the mystery of his death had never been explored.
“The more I researched this incident it seemed to me there had been a cover up – a conspiracy to get rid of Lawrence.
“He had been involved in infiltrating Oswald Moseley and the blackshirts, was in contact with King Abdullah of Trans Jordan about an Arab uprising and was possibly being groomed for a job to reinvigorate the Secret Service.”
Sunrise in Saudi Arabia during the 700 mile journey
Further information
- Find out more about the Special Forces Club Benevolent Fund on its website
