A life to remember - Gertrude Bell (1868-1926) - Adventures in Arabia...

Gertrude Bell

Eccentric? - Possible - Gertrude Bell gathered information/intelligence data which was used by T.E.Lawrence in the successful Arab revolt against the Turks (1915-1916). She saw the young T.E.Lawrence when he was just 23 years old in Arabia, she was then 42 years old and already famous. She spoke fluently French, German, Arabic and Persian. She had a passion for Arabia - Independent, Intellectual, Intelligent born in 1868 she attended Oxford, climbed the Alps which, also gave her a reputation for being mountaineer. She made two voyages around the world prior to her arrival to Arabia.

Gertrude Bell was the one of the Empires leading Arabists. She rode camels with the Bedouin in the Arabian desert, spoke their language, dined with tribal leaders. Recruited by British Intelligence during the First World War. Political Officer, Oriental Secretary to the High Commissioner in Baghdad. She had a strong interest in archeology and founded the Baghdad Archaeology Museum.

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King Faisal I

Gertrude Bell was part of the negotiating the borders of Iraq.

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Gertrude Bell attends a meeting of the Mesopotamia Commission at the Cairo Conference of 1921.In the photo are Gertrude Bell, Sir Winston Churchill and T.E. Lawrence.

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Sir Winston Churchill accepted Faisal as the new King of Iraq due to his talks to Gertrude Bell. Further, Bell was close to King Faisal and acted as his adviser as well.