Clare Hollingworth dead: Correspondent who broke news of Second World War dies, aged 105

‘Clare had a remarkable career as a foreign correspondent, beginning with the scoop of the century,’ says Foreign Correspondent’s Club

The journalist witnessed the atrocities of war in Vietnam, the Middle East, Algeria, India and Pakistan, and Mao’s Cultural Revolution in China (AFP/Getty)

​Clare Hollingworth, the journalist who broke the news of the Second World War, has died at 105.

The former Daily Telegraph correspondent crossed the Polish-German frontier in 1939 and witnessed thousands of German tanks lined up to invade Poland during her first week at the paper.

The Foreign Correspondent’s Club paid tribute to the veteran journalist’s enduring legacy.

“The FCC is very sad to announce the passing of its much beloved member Clare Hollingworth at age 105,” the club said in a statement on Tuesday.

“Clare had a remarkable career as a foreign correspondent, beginning with the scoop of the century when she reported the start of World War II.”

Tara Joseph, the FCC president, added: “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.

“We were so pleased that we could celebrate her 105th birthday with her this past year.”

Clare Hollingworth during her time as a war correspondent

Hollingworth’s family released a statement on the Facebook page “Celebrate Clare Hollingworth”.

“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,” it read.

“Although Clare made her name by getting the scoop on WWII – from the frontlines in Poland – that event arguably overshadowed some equally impressive achievements.

“During the research for Clare's recently published biography Of Fortunes & War: Clare Hollingworth, first of the female war correspondents her great nephew Patrick Garrett uncovered documents detailing her work saving been two and three thousand souls from the Nazis, on the eve of WWII.

“During the war Clare was all over the Balkans, the Middle East, and North Africa. She was in Palestine for the final runup to the foundation of Israel. She covered the civil war in Algeria, and was in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Vietnam during their conflicts.

“She was one of the first western correspondents in China at the tail end of the Cultural Revolution.

“And aged 70, when most people are beginning to think about retiring, Clare upped sticks and set up a new life in Hong Kong.

“Clare pushed the boundaries for women in journalism, and though she has gone, her legacy will certainly live on.”

Explaining her need to be on top of the story, the journalist once told a radio interviewer: “I enjoy action. I enjoy being in a plane when they’re bombing something.”

Speaking to The Independent in an interview last year, Hollingworth explained why she thought the Nazis would ultimately be defeated when she sat in a British diplomat’s car watching Gerd von Runstedt’s legions preparing to invade Poland.

“I thought they’d lose the war,” she said. “Because they didn’t care about people.”

The FCC said details of the funeral arrangements and a wake at the club would be announced later. In October she celebrated her 105th birthday at the Foreign Correspondents' Club in Hong Kong where she was a regular patron.