Dossier 34 - Clare Hollingworth

2 minidiscs, 5 cds, 1 file, 24 AIFF files 92.91 GB)

Interview with Clare Hollingworth, defence correspondent for the Guardian. Conducted by Esther Addley on 12 February 2002. Also includes a data sheet containing biographical details and information about the recording.

Summary contents of interview (with rough timings):

Disc 1:
Track 1
00.25 Discusses upbringing and education
02.00 Father encouraged her interest in history
03.15 Memories of First World War whilst young
05.35 Gained a scholarship to London School of Slavonic Studies
07.05 Working at the League of Nations Union in London
08.00 Family disapproved of her interest in the Leagues of Nations Union
08.45 Stood as a Labour candidate for Melton Mowbray
09.15 Reported outbreak of World War II from Poland
09.40 Has since worked as a correspondent for Guardian and Telegraph
09.50 Changes in political stance over lifetime

10.30 Religion and growing up
11.05 Experience of boarding schools
12.15 *
13.20 Maintaining her maiden name once married
14.40 Return to England. Asked by the editor of the Telegraph to report on Poland during Second World War
15.00 Discussion of experience in Poland at outbreak of War
16.20 Driving over the German border
17.40 Remembers seeing German tanks before outbreak of War
18.40 Outbreak of War. Remembers German tanks invading Poland
19.00 Remained in Poland throughout War
19.20 Attempted to report from Poland

20.40 Unable to communicate with husband during War
21.00 Didn't consider herself to be brave or naive, was aware of dangers
21.40 Kit that she carried whilst travelling around Poland

Track 2
00.03 Left Poland and followed the path of the government across Eastern Europe
01.50 Experience of attempted arrest
03.30 Difficulty sending stories from Romania
04.15 Continued onto Greece
04.40 Effect of career on first marriage

Track 3
00.45 Hardworking attitude . Felt reporting was not just an interest, but that it was her duty
01.20 Occasionally worked eighteen hour days during war coverage
02.00 Holidays whilst reporting
02.20 Books produced on Poland and the Balkans
03.30 Interest in work stronger than interest in private life
05.15 Continued to travel onto Egypt
06.25 Nature of working relationship with Daily Telegraph. Worked for the Guardian later

Track 4
00.01 Visit to Egypt and meeting general Wavell
00.50 *
01.00 Remembers general Auchinleck
01.40 Relationship between military and reporters
02.10 Spent time at the Gezira club
03.00 Atmosphere in Cairo and Alexandria during the War, fear of German invasion
03.40 Remembers few other female foreign correspondents
04.00 General Montgomery's dislike of female correspondents
05.00 Hollingworth sent home from Tripoli
08.15 Sleeping in the desert
09.10 Experience of hearing Germans whilst sleeping in the desert

10.28 Learnt to fly whilst in Cairo
12.20 *
14.01 *
14.15 Friendship with Geoffrey Hoare
14.55 Friendly parting with first husband
15.45 Wore same desert uniform as male reporters
16.20 Use of typewriter in the desert
18.48 Considered herself to be an egalitarian

Track 5
00.03 Remembers her time in Palestine
00.30 Was present during the King David Hotel bombing, where she had been staying, she witnessed the explosion
01.13 Lost all of her posessions in the explosion
01.30 Her mother changed her will as she felt she was irresponsible to be staying at the hotel
02.40 How she saw the political situation then
03.30 View on present conflict
05.40 Moved to Paris after her husband's promotion whilst working for the Guardian
06.08 Covered Algerian War for the Guardian
06.25 Compares Guardian and Telegraph newspapers
08.00 Dangers encountered in Algeria
08.45 Only journalist to enter the Casbah of Algiers
09.40 Treatment in the Casbah

10.15 People suggested she was taking unnecessary risks in her war coverage
11.15 Considers some of her best work to have come out of her time in Algeria
12.15 Use of translators

Disc 2:
Track 1
00.19 Relationship with Donald and Melinda Maclean whilst in Cairo
01.22 *
04.10 Defection of Donald Maclean
06.45 Differences in religious beliefs between her and Hoare
08.40 Talks about Kim Philby and differences between him and Donald Maclean

10.00 Attempted to find Philby after disappearance in Beirut
10.38 Reaction to Guardian spiking her scoop on the movements of Philby
13.30 Went to work for the Guardian as defence correspondent
13.42 *
15.35 Differences between working overseas and working in London

Track 2
00.02 Friendship with Lord Donovan
00.36 Talks about her personal life
02.20 Friendship with Ted Heath
02.50 *
04.50 Decision to focus on career over having children
05.13 *
06.09 *

Track 3
00.01 Discussion of Kashmir in the 1960s and friendship with Indira Gandhi
01.00 Personality of Indira Gandhi

Track 4
00.00 Indira Gandhi's help during her career
01.10 Present situation in Kashmir
01.40 Her attraction to war coverage
04.40 Coverage of the Vietnam War for the Guardian
06.25 *
07.50 Belief that America could not win Vietnam War
08.38 Death of Hoare in 1966

11.00 Discussion of career of Hoare
12.12 *

Track 5
00.10 Went to China after Vietnam to set up the office for the Daily Telegraph
01.01 Benefitted from time spent in China
01.38 Things she learnt as a journalist in Peking
02.15 *
03.00 She was trusted by her sources
05.40 Meeting Chairman Mao
06.25 Meeting Henry Kissinger
07.29 *
08.28 Frustrations met when working in China
09.15 Remembers accomodation in China

Track 6
Test

Track 7
00.00 *
01.05 Dislike for Margaret Thatcher
02.14 Return to London after death of Chairman Mao to work for the Telegraph as defence correspondent
02.40 Interest in world defence
03.38 Moved to Hong Kong for the Sunday Telegraph
04.45 Discusses her work for the Telegraph whilst in Hong Kong
05.50 No wish to retire, due to her continued interest in the news
07.13 Deterioration of eye sight since teenage years
09.08 *

11.15 Sleeping on the floor to remain hardy
12.00 Wish to continue writing
12.40 Changes in Hong Kong since the transfer of sovereignty
12.48*
14.40 Desire to report from Afghanistan
17.00 Instinct for journalism
17.25 Newspapers today. Strength of the the Times, the Telegraph, and the Guardian as newspapers
18.30 Constantly listening to the news. Places radios under her pillow

Restricted - access to edited copy via GNM Digital Repository.

Copyright: Guardian News & Media Ltd and Clare Hollingworth