Pioneer in the Desert: Lady Dorothy Clayton East-Clayton

In the fourth episode of our series on Western Female Travelers, we focus on Lady Dorothy Clayton East-Clayton (born Dorothy Mary Durrant, 1906-1933), one of the most extraordinary adventurers and pioneers of the Libyan desert between the two World Wars.

Daughter of Reverend Arthur Durrant, she grew up in the English countryside, receiving a private education and quickly standing out for her talent, vivacity, and resourcefulness.

In February 1932, she married Sir Robert Clayton East-Clayton, a young Royal Navy officer. Their union was immediately shaped by the dream of exploring the Sahara and unveiling the mysteries, suspended between myth and geography, of the legendary oasis of Zerzura.

Dorothy visited Siwa at least twice before her tragic and mysterious death in the UK, when she fell from an airplane during takeoff. Her first visit was in the spring and summer of 1932, shortly after her wedding. Together with her husband, they joined the expedition of Lazlo Almásy and other members of the Zarzura Club.

The couple, aboard a small Havilland airplane, played a key role in a milestone expedition in Saharan exploration: technology and pioneering spirit joined forces to explore the desert between Gilf Kebir and Kufra, where they were welcomed by the Italian garrison. They then advanced northward through the vast sand sea to Siwa, on to Gara, and finally returned to Alexandria.

Just a few weeks after this achievement, tragedy struck: Dorothy was widowed by the death of her husband, who succumbed to a rare illness contracted in Libya. Undaunted, she decided to return alone to the Egyptian deserts to complete their shared dream: finding Zerzura.

In February 1933, she launched a new expedition, this time as the commander and pilot of her own light aircraft, traveling with permission from the Egyptian authorities and accompanied by a second pilot. She once again reached Siwa, the obligatory stop on the great caravan routes and a hub for the enduring mysteries of the Sahara. That expedition—part of the grand crossing organized by Pat Clayton in April 1933 from Kufra to Siwa—marked the first direct flight crossing between Kufra and Siwa, and became part of Saharan exploration history.

Although this feat did not lead to the discovery of the legendary oasis, it enriched European mythology about Zerzura and cemented Dorothy’s reputation as a symbol of courage. Her intense and dramatic life ended shortly after her return to England, in a plane crash that remains shrouded in mystery.

As for the mystery surrounding her death, which occurred the day before her article was to be published in The Times (London) on September 16, 1933, I wrote a post about it years ago that you can find here. https://www.sxt-jmat.org/single-post/2020/05/26/the-third-zarzura-expedition-organized-by-dorothy-clayton-east-clayton-widow-of-the-late

For those who have seen the movie "The English Patient":

The character of Katharine Clifton, the female protagonist portrayed by Kristin Scott Thomas, is inspired by Lady Dorothy Clayton East-Clayton: similar aristocratic upbringing, talent, passion for adventure, and tragic fate linked to aviation and the sands of the Sahara.