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Clare Hollingworth dies aged 105: Telegraph correspondent who broke the news of World War II passes away in Hong Kong
lare Hollingworth, the Daily Telegraph correspondent who broke the news of World War Two, has died in Hong Kong aged 105.
The British journalist was hailed for her "scoop of the century" after she spotted German tanks on the Polish border in August 1939.
"We are sad to announce that after an illustrious career spanning a century of news, celebrated war correspondent Clare Hollingworth died this evening in Hong Kong," a spokesman for the Celebrating Clare Hollingworth group said in a statement on Facebook on Tuesday.
Her death was confirmed by The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Hong Kong, which praised her "remarkable" career.
“We are very sad to hear about Clare’s passing. She was a tremendous inspiration to us all and a treasured member of our club," said Tara Joseph, the FCC president.
"We were so pleased that we could celebrate her 105th birthday with her this past year. Details of the funeral arrangements and a wake at the club will be announced later."
Tributes to Hollingworth's legendary career poured in from former editors and journalistic colleagues who recalled her showing sharp interest in her trade well into her 70s.
Telegraph editor Chris Evans said: "Clare Hollingworth was a remarkable journalist, an inspiration to all reporters but in particular to subsequent generations of women foreign correspondents.
"She will always be revered by all of us at The Telegraph. Our sympathies to her friends and family."
Charles Moore, the editor of the Daily Telegraph said Hollingworth was one the Telegraph's most distinguished servants and an inspiration to all foreign correspondents and all women in journalism.
"She combined a professional determination to dig out world news with a practical compassion for the sufferings of humanity.
"During the Cold War, when China was a closed society under Mao, Claire was highly unusual among journalists in having the contacts that opened up some of that world to her, and so to the readers.
Kate Adie, the veteran BBC war correspondent said Hollingworth was "a pioneer" for women in journalism who did not stop after her great scoop, when on to have a "a lifetime of journalism, full of adventure, good stories and terrific attention to detail and fact.
"She was a role model, without being aware of it. In the sense that she loved the job and had a terrific zest for journalism right to the end of her life. In her 90s she followed the news. I met her. Several times. When she was in her 70s and still with an eye on China and I remember going to the Foreign Correspondents club in Hong Kong and someone saying 'there's a legend upstairs'.
Robert Fox, the Telegraph's former defence and chief foreign correspondent, said described Hollingworth as "amazing and steadfast".
"After the Falklands I remember she took me to lunch and asked me about the state of British Army. She used to take the trouble to come over to me, she was always interested and took a great deal of interest in younger reporters. She never put on side, and she regarded old and young in the whole business as kindred spirits."
The BBC's John Simpson first met Clare in 1978, travelling with her in Romania, Serbia, Turkey and other places. He described her as a journalist who people trusted, and she could go back to people.
"She interviewed the Shah of Iran in 1941, just after we had put him on the throne, and she was the only person he would speak to before he died - because he trusted her. I consider her one the finest journalists of the 20th Century, along with Martha Gellhorn and one or two others. I shall miss her memory more than I can say."
The scoop of Hollingworth's career came to her in late August when she was a 27-year-old fledgling reporter for the Daily Telegraph.She had been a reporter at the newspaper for less than a week.
As the border was closed to all but diplomatic vehicles, she borrowed a British consulate official's car to drive into German-occupied territory. She saw tanks, armored cars and artillery massing.
She recounted in her autobiography that burlap screens beside the road, "constructed to hide the military vehicles, blew in the wind, thus I saw the battle deployment."
"I guessed that the German Command was preparing to strike to the north of Katowice and its fortified lines and this, in fact, was exactly how they launched their invasion in the south."
Hollingworth filed the story that appeared on Tuesday, August 29, on The Daily Telegraph's front page, underneath the headline: "1,000 tanks massed on Polish border. Ten divisions reported ready for swift stroke."
She went on to write: "The German military machine is now ready for instant action."
"I wasn't frightened," she recounted in an interview with the Telegraph in 2014, from the modest apartment in Hong Kong where she lived, just around the corner from the Foreign Correspondents' Club.
"I broke this story when I was very, very young," she said. "I went there to look after the refugees, the blind, the deaf and the dumb. While I was there, the war suddenly came into being."
She went on to win major British journalism accolades including a "What The Papers Say" lifetime achievement award.
She was also made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II.
Former British Prime Minister Ted Heath and former Hong Kong Governor Chris Patten were fans of Hollingworth, while various British generals wrote about her fondly.
Lord Patten, who knew Ms Hollingsworth when he was Governor of Hong Kong, told the Telegraph: “Clare was quite literally one of the greatest journalists of the 21st century. She was a great buccaneer, brave, witty and wise.
"She covered some of the greatest stories of the last century with imitable dash and, on top of all that, she was kind and lovable. Everybody who knew her will certainly have her in the category of the most exceptionable people they have met.”
Patrick Garrett, her biographer and great-nephew, said Hollingworth had recently been ill.
"At 105 we had begun to wonder if Clare was one of the immortals," Mr Garrett told the Telegraph. "She got a cold around Christmas and obviously it is an extra concern with the elderly. We assumed she'd fight it off but it was to be her last Christmas."
Mr Garrett added: "She was far from home but she'd been abroad most of her life. Seventy-eight years ago in Nazi Austria and most years since on foreign soil.
"On the one hand we have been expecting it would happen one day - but it will still come as a shock - and will probably only hit us tomorrow.
"I am happy that I put 10 years into writing and researching her biography. She may be gone but her legacy lives on."
Did she speak about her Telegraph war scoop in the final months: "Her times in Poland still came up. She talked occasionally about the refugees she helped save too."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...-dies-aged-105-telegraph-correspondent-broke/
- Neil Connor, Beijing
- Anna Healy Fenton, Hong Kong
- James Rothwell
- Peter Foster, Europe Editor
lare Hollingworth, the Daily Telegraph correspondent who broke the news of World War Two, has died in Hong Kong aged 105.
The British journalist was hailed for her "scoop of the century" after she spotted German tanks on the Polish border in August 1939.
"We are sad to announce that after an illustrious career spanning a century of news, celebrated war correspondent Clare Hollingworth died this evening in Hong Kong," a spokesman for the Celebrating Clare Hollingworth group said in a statement on Facebook on Tuesday.
Her death was confirmed by The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Hong Kong, which praised her "remarkable" career.
“We are very sad to hear about Clare’s passing. She was a tremendous inspiration to us all and a treasured member of our club," said Tara Joseph, the FCC president.
"We were so pleased that we could celebrate her 105th birthday with her this past year. Details of the funeral arrangements and a wake at the club will be announced later."
Tributes to Hollingworth's legendary career poured in from former editors and journalistic colleagues who recalled her showing sharp interest in her trade well into her 70s.
Telegraph editor Chris Evans said: "Clare Hollingworth was a remarkable journalist, an inspiration to all reporters but in particular to subsequent generations of women foreign correspondents.
"She will always be revered by all of us at The Telegraph. Our sympathies to her friends and family."
Charles Moore, the editor of the Daily Telegraph said Hollingworth was one the Telegraph's most distinguished servants and an inspiration to all foreign correspondents and all women in journalism.
"She combined a professional determination to dig out world news with a practical compassion for the sufferings of humanity.
"During the Cold War, when China was a closed society under Mao, Claire was highly unusual among journalists in having the contacts that opened up some of that world to her, and so to the readers.
Kate Adie, the veteran BBC war correspondent said Hollingworth was "a pioneer" for women in journalism who did not stop after her great scoop, when on to have a "a lifetime of journalism, full of adventure, good stories and terrific attention to detail and fact.
"She was a role model, without being aware of it. In the sense that she loved the job and had a terrific zest for journalism right to the end of her life. In her 90s she followed the news. I met her. Several times. When she was in her 70s and still with an eye on China and I remember going to the Foreign Correspondents club in Hong Kong and someone saying 'there's a legend upstairs'.
Robert Fox, the Telegraph's former defence and chief foreign correspondent, said described Hollingworth as "amazing and steadfast".
"After the Falklands I remember she took me to lunch and asked me about the state of British Army. She used to take the trouble to come over to me, she was always interested and took a great deal of interest in younger reporters. She never put on side, and she regarded old and young in the whole business as kindred spirits."
The BBC's John Simpson first met Clare in 1978, travelling with her in Romania, Serbia, Turkey and other places. He described her as a journalist who people trusted, and she could go back to people.
"She interviewed the Shah of Iran in 1941, just after we had put him on the throne, and she was the only person he would speak to before he died - because he trusted her. I consider her one the finest journalists of the 20th Century, along with Martha Gellhorn and one or two others. I shall miss her memory more than I can say."
The scoop of Hollingworth's career came to her in late August when she was a 27-year-old fledgling reporter for the Daily Telegraph.She had been a reporter at the newspaper for less than a week.
As the border was closed to all but diplomatic vehicles, she borrowed a British consulate official's car to drive into German-occupied territory. She saw tanks, armored cars and artillery massing.
She recounted in her autobiography that burlap screens beside the road, "constructed to hide the military vehicles, blew in the wind, thus I saw the battle deployment."
"I guessed that the German Command was preparing to strike to the north of Katowice and its fortified lines and this, in fact, was exactly how they launched their invasion in the south."
Hollingworth filed the story that appeared on Tuesday, August 29, on The Daily Telegraph's front page, underneath the headline: "1,000 tanks massed on Polish border. Ten divisions reported ready for swift stroke."
She went on to write: "The German military machine is now ready for instant action."
"I wasn't frightened," she recounted in an interview with the Telegraph in 2014, from the modest apartment in Hong Kong where she lived, just around the corner from the Foreign Correspondents' Club.
"I broke this story when I was very, very young," she said. "I went there to look after the refugees, the blind, the deaf and the dumb. While I was there, the war suddenly came into being."
She went on to win major British journalism accolades including a "What The Papers Say" lifetime achievement award.
She was also made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II.
Former British Prime Minister Ted Heath and former Hong Kong Governor Chris Patten were fans of Hollingworth, while various British generals wrote about her fondly.
Lord Patten, who knew Ms Hollingsworth when he was Governor of Hong Kong, told the Telegraph: “Clare was quite literally one of the greatest journalists of the 21st century. She was a great buccaneer, brave, witty and wise.
"She covered some of the greatest stories of the last century with imitable dash and, on top of all that, she was kind and lovable. Everybody who knew her will certainly have her in the category of the most exceptionable people they have met.”
Patrick Garrett, her biographer and great-nephew, said Hollingworth had recently been ill.
"At 105 we had begun to wonder if Clare was one of the immortals," Mr Garrett told the Telegraph. "She got a cold around Christmas and obviously it is an extra concern with the elderly. We assumed she'd fight it off but it was to be her last Christmas."
Mr Garrett added: "She was far from home but she'd been abroad most of her life. Seventy-eight years ago in Nazi Austria and most years since on foreign soil.
"On the one hand we have been expecting it would happen one day - but it will still come as a shock - and will probably only hit us tomorrow.
"I am happy that I put 10 years into writing and researching her biography. She may be gone but her legacy lives on."
Did she speak about her Telegraph war scoop in the final months: "Her times in Poland still came up. She talked occasionally about the refugees she helped save too."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...-dies-aged-105-telegraph-correspondent-broke/
