“Photograph of Mr and Mrs Churchill, accompanied by Inspector Thompson, taken on March 20, 1921, and sent to the Prime Minister by the photographer during the Mena Conference, November 1943” (BRDW 1/2/83)

Photograph of WSC [Secretary of State for the Colonies], CSC and a large group, mounted on camels in front of the pyramids and sphinx of Giza [Egypt]. CSC, dressed in white, is on the camel furthest to the left, with WSC beside her in an overcoat and hat, while next in line is Gertrude Bell [Oriental Secretary to the High Commissioner of Iraq], wearing a jacket with a large fur collar and a small hat with a flower, then T E Lawrence [“Lawrence of Arabia”, later T E Shaw, WSC’s adviser on Arab affairs], in a suit and fedora-type hat. Detective Constable Walter Thompson [WSC’s bodyguard] is on the camel next to Lawrence, fifth from the left, with several more unidentified figures further to the right and on the far left. The photograph was presumably sent to WSC during the Cairo conference in the Second World War, and was signed by the photographer in the bottom left corner.

20 Mar 1921