LOCAL AND OVERSEAS
WAR CORRESPONDENTS
IN AUSTRALIA
DURING WWII
There were many overseas War Correspondents operating in Australia during WWII. The following is a list of some of those War Correspondents:-
Yates McDaniel - Associated Press
Joseph C. Harsch - Christian Science Monitor
Patrick Maitland - News Chronicle, London
Martin "Marty" Barnett - Paramount News
Ian Morrison - The TImes
Jonathon Rice - Acme News Pictures
Byron Darnton - New York Times
Lewis B. Sebring, Jr. - New York Herald-Tribune
"Newsreel Wong" - News of the Day
Ralph Jordan - International News Service
Jack Turcott - New York Daily News
Wallace Kirkland - Life and official US Army photographer
William J. Dunn - CBS Radio Reporter
Frank Cuhel - MBS
George Folster - NBC
Martin Agronsky - NBC
Sid Albright - United Artists & NBC
Melville Jacoby - Time-Life (killed along with Brig. Gen Harold George in aircraft incident 29 April 1942)
Annalee Jacoby - CBS News
Clark Lee - Associated Press (later INS)
Frank Hewlett - United Press
Dean Schedler - Associated Press
Al Noderer - Chicago Tribune
Bill Courtney - Colliers Magazine
George Moorad - American Red Cross Reporter (Sydney)
Tilman Durdin - New York Times
Royal Gunnison - MBC
Clete Roberts - NBC Blue
Art Feldman - MBS
Pat Flaherty - NBC
Gordon Walker - Christian Science Monitor
William Dickinson - United Press
Frank Prist - Acme News Pictures
Earle Crotchett - Paramount News
Marty Barnett - Paramount cameraman
Carleton Kent - Chicago Times
? Dearing - International
John Hinde - ?
Frazier Hunt - ?
Four of the above War Correspondents were selected by General Douglas MacArthur to accompany him during the historic landing on Leyte Island beach marking his promised return to the Philippines. They were:-
William J. Dunn - CBS Radio
William Dickinson - United Press
Frank Prist - Acme News Pictures
Earle Crotchett - Paramount News
Australian accredited War Correspondents:-
Coral Lesley Craig - Economic Research Bureau
The War Correspondents in Brisbane were quartered in the Gresham Hotel in the city and the so called "Press House" in Ashton Hall at 118 Bonney Avenue, Clayfield.
War Correspondents Sebring and Dickson Brown were some of the ones staying in the Gresham Hotel. They thought the "Press House" at Clayfield was too far away. The War Correspondents in the Gresham Hotel had a birds eye view of the Battle of Brisbane which occurred on the corner of Adelaide and Creek Streets on the evening of 26 November 1942 right beside their hotel. War Correspondent, John Hinde, was also on a balcony of the Gresham Hotel overlooking the Battle of Brisbane. He stated "The most furious battle I ever saw during the war was that night in Brisbane. It was like a civil war."
General Douglas MacArthur often had meetings with various War Correspondents. The following are entries from General MacArthur's Office Diary until 9 September 1944 when he moved from Brisbane to his new Headquarters in Hollandia:-
Tuesday, May 19, 1942
Conference at 1600 with five U.S. correspondents who were returning to the U.S.Monday, June 8, 1942
Mrs. Jacoby, widow of Melville Jacoby, Life correspondent called at 1515. Mr.Tuesday, June 16, 1942
Mr. Kittle, Mr. Williams, Mr. Vickers and Mr. Harris, Brisbane correspondents called at 1100.Monday, June 22, 1942
Conference with Mr. Harsh, War Correspondent at 1730.Monday, August 24, 1942
Colonel Wilkinson called at 1700 and Mr. Hubbard War Correspondent at 1800.Wednesday, January 27th, 1943
War Correspondent Noderer called at 1800.Tuesday, February 23, 1943
Mr. Pat Robinson, returning war correspondent called at 1800.Monday, May 10, 1943
Mr. Chickering, War Correspondent for “Time” called at 1145.Wednesday, June 9, 1943
At 1645 had a conference with newly arrived war correspondents.Thursday, June 10, 1943
Conference with two colored correspondents who recently reported for duty in this area at 1730.Saturday, June 12, 1943
Frank Hewlitt and Curtiss Hindson, war correspondents at 1345.Wednesday, June 16, 1943
Colonel Diller and Mr. Lee Outridge, Sydney Telegraph correspondent at 1815.Saturday, June 19, 1943
Conference with newly arrived war correspondents at 1700Wednesday, July 7, 1943
Interview with Mr. Palmer, War Correspondent for Los Angeles “Times” at 1700.Monday, July 19, 1943
Mr. Norton-Taylor, “Time” CorrespondentSaturday, August 14, 1943
Life, Look and Reuters’ War Correspondents conference at 1715.Sunday, 19 September, 1943
Colonel Diller and Mr. Kluckhohn, War Correspondent of New York Times, at 1700.Tuesday, 21 September , 1943
Mr. Turcot, War Correspondent for the New York Daily News, made a P.P.C. at 1700.Sunday, 17 October, 1943
Mr. Driscoll, War Correspondent of New York Herald Tribune, at 1730.Saturday, 30 October, 1943
Charles Rawlings, War Correspondent for the Saturday Evening Post, at 1715.Sunday, 31 October, 1943
Press Conference at 1100. Jack Turcott, War Correspondent of New York Daily News, at 1700.Wednesday, 19 January, 1944
At 1130, Colonel Diller with Mrs. Lorraine Stumm, our only woman war correspondent, who paid her respects before going to India. At 1200 Colonel Diller and Colonel Lehrbas, with Frank Kluckhohn of the New York Times, to discuss publication of an edition in SWPA.Friday, 11 February, 1944
At 1730 Norman Soong, accredited Chinese war correspondent, before departure.Saturday, 19 February, 1944
At 1700, Frazier Hunt, accredited American war correspondent, just arrived.Wednesday, 8 March, 1944
At 1800 Frazier Hunt, newly arrived war correspondent from U.S.Thursday, 6 April, 1944
At 1800 A.D. Rothman, Australian correspondent in New York and Washington.Thursday, 4 May, 1944
At 1800 Colonel Diller with Mr. Edmund R. Vadeboncoeur, NBC war correspondent.Sunday, 11 June, 1944
At 1645 William Courtenay, British newspaper correspondent.Wednesday, 21 June, 1944
At 1300 Clete Roberts, Blue Network broadcasters, before returning to U.S. At 1730 Mark Hellinger, newly arrived INS correspondent.Wednesday, 28 June, 1944
At 1730 Olin Clements, Associated Press war correspondent, before returning to U.S.Tuesday, 4 July, 1944
At 1730 Frank Kluckholm and Lindesay M. Parrott, NEW YORK TIMES war correspondents.Wednesday, 12 July, 1944
At 1715 Charles A. Lindbergh. At 1800 John Dowling, Chicago Sun Correspondent.Sunday, 23 July, 1944
At 1730 Bob Eunson, AP war correspondent, before returning home.Monday, 21 August, 1944
At 1800 Colonel Diller and Frank Kluckhohn, New York Times war correspondent.
War Correspondent Lewis B. Sebring, Jr. of the New York Herald-Tribune, was unhappy about General MacArthur making the above listed time for War Correspondents passing through but did not have time for him until just before he left. Frazier Hunt had a room at Lennons Hotel, which was another sore point, as it gave much greater access to the brass than the average reporter.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I'd like to thank Karen Nunan for her assistance with this web page.
REFERENCES
"Pacific Microphone" by William Dunn
Can anyone help me with more information?
"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products
© Peter Dunn 2015 |
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This page first produced 22 May 2019
This page last updated 09 July 2020