Harry Brighton - Historical Basis

Historical Basis

Brighton was created by Robert Bolt as an amalgam of various officers who served with T. E. Lawrence during the war. Historically, there was no equivalent to Brighton at the time that Lawrence joined with Feisal, although there were a handful of lower-ranking French and British officers who served primarily as weapons advisors. The character most historically similar to Brighton was, perhaps, Lt. Colonel Stewart F. Newcombe, who was a close friend of Lawrence, and unlike Brighton was able to gain acceptance by the Arabs. He was captured in 1917 but was able to escape with the help of a Turkish girl, although he never returned to the Arabian theatre. Newcombe would continue his friendship with Lawrence after the war; he was one of the pallbearers at Lawrence's funeral. In Michael Wilson's original script, Brighton was named Colonel Newcombe.

Other notable officers include Captains Boyle and Garland, the latter responsible for the first British/Arab raid on the Hejaz Railway, Alan Dawnay, Allenby's liaison to the Arabs through 1918, and Lt. Col. Charles E. Wilson, who served as official commander of the British attachment over Lawrence in 1917. Wilson had a much more fractious relationship with Lawrence than the above officers; Lawrence initially did everything he could to avoid serving under Wilson's direct command.

It might also be noted that several French officers also served with the Arabs, though these are not represented in the film. Captain Bremond was the initial French liaison, but Lawrence and the Arabs strongly disliked him, and he was ultimately reassigned. Captain Pisani commanded the Arab's artillery contingent later in the war; Pisani was much better-respected than his predecessor, and would in fact accompany Lawrence and Feisal to the Paris Peace Conference.