February 1931

On 4 February Lawrence witnesses a flying boat accident at Mount Batten. The official Inquiry takes up much of his time for the next few weeks. On 26 February he is posted for a week to Southampton to help test the prototype RAF 200 Class fast seaplane-tender. He returns to Plymouth on 7 March.

April 1931

Lawrence writes a favourable report on the RAF 200 Class Seaplane Tender and is posted to the team responsible for further tests, at Hythe on Southampton Water. This occupies him until June.

August 1931

Lawrence is given a month's leave and uses it to complete his translation of the Odyssey. It is finished on 15 August. He spends the rest of the holiday with the Sydney Smiths. A shipyard fire on August bank holiday destroys all but one of the first batch of RAF 200 Class boats. Lawrence therefore spends the early autumn at Mount Batten.

November 1931

Lawrence returns to Hythe on 21 November.