A MYSTERY woman in the life of war hero TE Lawrence has puzzled experts after confidential files were released to the public for the first time.

The story of Lawrence of Arabia, who died in a motorcycle accident at Clouds Hill, Bovington, in 1935, has fascinated people from around the world after he led an Arab rebellion against the Turkish Empire during the First World War.

He wrote of his experiences in his book, The Seven Pillars of Wisdom, but the loner colonel has intrigued people for decades because of rumours about his sexuality.

Now war files have revealed that he paid two-thirds of his wages - two shillings a day - to a woman called Ruby Bryant from September 1925 until November 1926. There is also a letter from Miss Bryant, complaining that she had not received a payment.

Thomas Edward Lawrence, who lived alone at his home in Clouds Hill while serving at Bovington Army Camp, near Dorchester, shunned publicity, even serving under a false name when he served with the RAF.

But this made people even more fascinated by his story and now that Air Ministry files show deductions to his wages were paid to a woman, enthusiasts are combing the records for evidence to point to what the woman meant to him.

The files also reveal that deductions from his pay were also made to a WJ Ross, and John Bruce, a Scot who he served with in the Royal Tank Corps in Bovington.

Both men are listed on the payments as 'friend'.

Many Lawrence of Arabia enthusiasts believe that he was a latent homosexual, and there were few clues to point to any relationships with women until now.

The payments to Miss Bryant, who lived in Nottingham, at a time when he was serving in the RAF under the name of Leading Aircraftsman Shaw, are certain to spark a fresh wave of interest in his tale.