George Steer - Revision history

UpdateBot: robot: Update article (please report if you notice any mistake or error in this edit)

2022-03-07T19:35:11Z

robot: Update article (please report if you notice any mistake or error in this edit)

->Lettler: removed Category:Road incident deaths using HotCat

2021-12-27T18:40:15Z

removed Category:Road incident deaths using HotCat

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:10, 28 December 2021
Line 35:		Line 35:
	Margarita Steer died in childbirth in London while George Steer was reporting on the Spanish Civil War. He later married Esme Barton.		Margarita Steer died in childbirth in London while George Steer was reporting on the Spanish Civil War. He later married Esme Barton.

	In 2006 the town of [[Guernica]] honored George Steer unveiling a bronze bust and naming a street in his memory.<ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article709276.ece] Guernica honours Times man for telling its story</ref> Also in 2010 the City of [[Bilbao]] (~~Spain~~) dedicated George Steer Street, with Steer's son and granddaughter attending the ceremony.<ref>{{in lang\|es}} [http://www.deia.com/2010/10/08/bizkaia/bilbao/-bilbao-homenajea-al-periodista-ingles-que-informo-del-bombardeo-de-gernika- "Bilbao dedica una calle a George Steer que informó del bombardeo de Gernika"] {{webarchive\|url=https://archive.is/20120728154034/http://www.deia.com/2010/10/08/bizkaia/bilbao/-bilbao-homenajea-al-periodista-ingles-que-informo-del-bombardeo-de-gernika- \|date=28 July 2012 }} ''[[Deia (Spain)\|Deia]]'' Retrieved 1 June 2013.</ref>		In 2006 the town of [[Guernica]] honored George Steer unveiling a bronze bust and naming a street in his memory.<ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article709276.ece] Guernica honours Times man for telling its story</ref> Also in 2010 the City of [[Bilbao]] (Biscay) dedicated George Steer Street, with Steer's son and granddaughter attending the ceremony.<ref>{{in lang\|es}} [http://www.deia.com/2010/10/08/bizkaia/bilbao/-bilbao-homenajea-al-periodista-ingles-que-informo-del-bombardeo-de-gernika- "Bilbao dedica una calle a George Steer que informó del bombardeo de Gernika"] {{webarchive\|url=https://archive.today/20120728154034/http://www.deia.com/2010/10/08/bizkaia/bilbao/-bilbao-homenajea-al-periodista-ingles-que-informo-del-bombardeo-de-gernika- \|date=28 July 2012 }} ''[[Deia (Spain)\|Deia]]'' Retrieved 1 June 2013.</ref>

	==Military service and death==		==Military service and death==
Line 71:		Line 71:
	[[Category:People educated at Winchester College]]		[[Category:People educated at Winchester College]]
	[[Category:Road incident deaths in India]]		[[Category:Road incident deaths in India]]
	[[Category:British Army ~~personnel of World War II]]~~		[[Category:British Army personnel killed in World War II]]
	~~[[Category:British military~~ personnel killed in World War II]]
	[[Category:Special Operations Executive personnel]]		[[Category:Special Operations Executive personnel]]
			[[Category:Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford]]
			[[Category:War correspondents of the Spanish Civil War]]
			[[Category:The Times journalists]]
			[[Category:Accidental deaths in Myanmar]]
			[[Category:The Daily Telegraph people]]

imported>Lettler: added Category:Special Operations Executive personnel using HotCat

2021-08-22T03:25:54Z

added Category:Special Operations Executive personnel using HotCat

New page

{{short description|South African-born British journalist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Use South African English|date=November 2012}}
[[image:Guernica - Monumento a George L. Steer.jpg|Memorial to George Steer in [[Guernica]], [[Biscay]], [[Basque Country (greater region)|Basque Country]], [[Spain]]|thumb|230px]]
'''George Lowther Steer''' (1909 – 25 December 1944) was a [[South Africa]]n-born British journalist, author and [[war correspondent]] who reported on wars preceding [[World War II]], especially the [[Second Italo-Abyssinian War]] and the [[Spanish Civil War]]. During those wars he was employed by ''[[The Times]]'', and his eye-witness reports did much to alert western nations of [[war crimes]] committed by the Italians in Ethiopia and by the Germans in Spain, although little was done to prevent them by the [[League of Nations]]. He returned to Ethiopia after the world war started and helped the campaign defeat the Italians and restore [[Hailie Selassie]] to the throne.

==Early life==
George Steer was born in South Africa in 1909, the son of a newspaper manager. He studied [[classics]] in England, at [[Winchester College]] and [[Christ Church, Oxford]]. He began his journalistic career in South Africa, then worked in London for the ''[[Yorkshire Post]]''.

==War correspondent==
[[File:Selassie restored.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia]]]]
In 1935 Steer covered the [[Kingdom of Italy|Italian]] invasion of [[Ethiopia]], also known as the [[Second Italo-Ethiopian War]], for ''The Times''. He reported that Italian forces made extensive use of [[poison gas]] in the form of [[mustard gas]] and also bombed [[Red Cross]] ambulances, despite clear markings of the [[red cross]].<ref>[[Nicholas Rankin]], 'Steer, George Lowther (1909–1944)’, [[Oxford Dictionary of National Biography]], [[Oxford University Press]], 2004</ref> He was involved in helping to transport gas masks to Ethiopia to give at least some protection against the poison gases deployed illegally by the Italians. He became friendly with Emperor [[Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia]], who later became [[godparent|godfather]] to Steer's son. He met and married his first wife in Ethiopia, under difficult conditions in the British Legation in [[Addis Ababa]], with looting and rifle fire outside the gates of the compound. His wife and his first child died in childbirth in London a little later.

===Spanish civil war===
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-H25224, Guernica, Ruinen.jpg|thumb |left |Ruins of [[bombing of Guernica|Guernica]]]]
In 1937 he was sent to report on the [[Spanish Civil War]]. His first reports from the [[Basque Country (greater region)|Basque country]] described how British merchant ships beat the Nationalist [[blockade]] of [[Bilbao]] to bring food to the starving people of the town and surrounding region. He also visited the front line on several occasions to report directly on the fighting.

He won prominence with his [[scoop (news)|scoop]] report on the [[bombing of Guernica]] on 26 April 1937. His telegram to London described [[Nazi Germany|German]] bomb casings (inscribed with the words ''Rheindorf 1936'', with the German eagle insignia), and the use of [[thermite]] as an [[Incendiary device|incendiary]] to create a [[firestorm]] in the center of the town. [[High explosive]] bombs were used to create blast damage to wooden structures, which could then be ignited more easily by the incendiaries. His reporting<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.eitb.eus/multimedia/infografias/nagore/gernika2/pdfs/STEERing.pdf|title=The tragedy of Guernica. Town destroyed in air attack. Eye-witness account.|last=Steer|first=George|date=1937|website=EITB.eus|access-date=1 February 2018}}</ref> did much to inspire [[Pablo Picasso]] to record the atrocity for posterity in his [[Guernica (painting)|massive painting]]. It also alerted western governments to the way the Germans were preparing to use [[terror bombing]] as a way to intimidate civilians. His reports were directly contradicted by the Nationalists, who said that the damage was caused by the Government forces themselves, as they had at Ita earlier in the conflict, although a League of Nations investigation concluded that neither the terror bombing theory nor the Nationalist's version of intentional arson were accurate.<ref>S.G Payne, The Spanish Civil War, 213</ref> Steer responded to such reports by providing details of the damage in the town (such as bomb craters) and the [[Luftwaffe]] aircraft used in the attack, such as [[Heinkel He 111]] [[bomber]]s. Although he was not an [[eye-witness]] to the bombing itself, he arrived soon afterwards, and so was able to see the effects and talk to some of the survivors. He was one of the last journalists to leave Bilbao as the Nationalists advanced, and fled to [[Santander, Spain|Santander]] to the west.

[[File:Mural del Gernika.jpg|right|thumb|A tiled wall in Gernika claims ''"Guernica" Gernikara'', "The Guernica (painting) to Gernika."]]

===Winter war in Finland===
The anti-Fascist tone of Steer's reporting led ''The Times'' to dispense with his services; the newspaper's editorial stance on the war was anti-Republican, whilst its editor, [[Geoffrey Dawson]], privately sympathised with the Nationalists under [[Francisco Franco]]. However the newspaper had a general policy of [[appeasement]] when it came to Germany, the Nazis and Fascism.
Steer returned to South Africa and, in his book ''Judgment on German Africa'', documented Germany's attempts to subvert its former African colonies, especially the [[Cameroon]], [[South West Africa]] (now known as [[Namibia]]), [[Tanganyika (territory)|Tanganyika]] and [[Togoland]].
[[File:The War in Finland, 1940 HU55566.jpg|thumb|left|Finnish ski troops in Northern Finland on 12 January 1940.]]
[[File:George Steer kalea.jpg|thumb|left|Street signal in [[Bilbao]] (Spain).]]
After the outbreak of [[World War II]], the ''[[Daily Telegraph]]'' dispatched Steer to [[Finland]] to cover the [[Winter War]], when [[Finland]] was attacked by the [[Soviet Union]] in November 1939. Steer saw the effects of aerial bombing of several Finnish towns by the Soviets, attempts made to intimidate the population, just like at Guernica. But by contrast with Ethiopia and Spain, western countries such as Britain and France (and nazi Germany) were only too eager to offer arms and equipment as well as volunteers to assist the Finns. The war was of relatively short duration owing to the disparity in armed might, although the Russian casualties were much greater than those of the Finns. An armistice was signed in March, 1940 and Finland lost about 10% of her territory to the Soviets.

===Return to Ethiopia===
When Italy declared war on Britain, plans were laid to invade Ethiopia from Kenya and the [[Sudan]], with the aim of toppling the Italian regime and re-instating Hailie Selassie as Emperor. Steer was appointed as an officer in the [[Intelligence Corps (United Kingdom)|Intelligence Corps]] of the [[British Army]], initially to chaperone Selassie from London to the Sudan (under the pseudonym, "Mr Smith" since the position of the Emperor had to be kept secret from the Italians). He was then put in charge of a mobile propaganda unit to undermine the Italian garrisons by leafletting, loudspeaker attacks and so on. The campaign was remarkably successful, with many Italian troops deserting to become prisoners, and Ethiopians transferring allegiance. Steer broadcast light Italian operas and news from the Italian front in [[Libya]], where the British army had great successes against much larger Italian forces in 1941. The military campaign waged by British and Ethiopian soldiers was very successful, using a combination of regular troops and irregular forces led by [[Orde Wingate]]. They entered Addis Ababa in triumph in April 1941 to accept the defeat of the Italians.

==Personal life==
In May 1936, as looters ravaged Addis Ababa around him, and while taking a break from rescue work, Steer married French newspaper correspondent Margarita Herrero. A short while afterwards he was deported by the Italian authorities, along with other Europeans, for aiding the opposition Abyssinians.<ref>[http://pallas.cegesoma.be/pls/opac/plsp.getplsdoc?rn=161571&cn=51&lan=F&htdoc=general/opac.htm Campagne d’Abyssinie, 05/1936] from [http://www.cegesoma.be/docs/PhotCat/PhoCatFC.htm this page]</ref>

Margarita Steer died in childbirth in London while George Steer was reporting on the Spanish Civil War. He later married Esme Barton.

In 2006 the town of [[Guernica]] honored George Steer unveiling a bronze bust and naming a street in his memory.<ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article709276.ece] Guernica honours Times man for telling its story</ref> Also in 2010 the City of [[Bilbao]] (Spain) dedicated George Steer Street, with Steer's son and granddaughter attending the ceremony.<ref>{{in lang|es}} [http://www.deia.com/2010/10/08/bizkaia/bilbao/-bilbao-homenajea-al-periodista-ingles-que-informo-del-bombardeo-de-gernika- "Bilbao dedica una calle a George Steer que informó del bombardeo de Gernika"] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.is/20120728154034/http://www.deia.com/2010/10/08/bizkaia/bilbao/-bilbao-homenajea-al-periodista-ingles-que-informo-del-bombardeo-de-gernika- |date=28 July 2012 }} ''[[Deia (Spain)|Deia]]'' Retrieved 1 June 2013.</ref>

==Military service and death==

In June 1940 Steer joined the [[British Army]] and led an Ethiopian Forward Propaganda unit when British troops began to fight Italian troops in the country. After the defeat of the Italians in Ethiopia in 1941, Steer was influential in restoring Haile Selassie to the throne.<ref>[http://www.newstatesman.com/node/145087 Review of ''Telegram from Guernica: the extraordinary life of George Steer, war correspondent]'' in the ''[[New Statesman]]'' 24 March 2003. Retrieved 19 January 2014.</ref> Later Steer was sent to [[India]] to lead a Field Propaganda Unit in [[Burma]]. The unit tried to break [[Imperial Japan|Japanese]] morale by loudspeakers with speeches and sentimental music. He was successively promoted from [[Lieutenant]] to [[Captain (armed forces)|Captain]], [[Major]] and finally, [[Lieutenant-colonel]], and was attached to the [[Special Operations Executive]]. His work was appreciated and promoted by [[General Slim]], the local army commander, who wanted to expand the operation.

George Steer died in the crash of a heavily loaded Army [[Jeep]], which he was driving, in [[Burma]] on 25 December 1944 on the way to a Christmas party.

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==Books by Steer==

* ''Caesar in Abyssinia: An account of the Italo-Abyssinian war, 1935-6. With a map'' (1936).
* ''[[The Tree of Gernika]]: A field study of modern war. With plates and maps'' (1938).
* ''Germany in Africa. A series of articles dealing with the question of the former German African Colonies'' (1938).
* ''A Date in the Desert'' (1939).
* ''Judgment on German Africa (1939).
* ''Abyssinia to-day'' with [[W. Arnold-Forster]] (1939).
* ''Sealed and delivered : a book on the Abyssinian Campaign'' (1942).

==Books about Steer==

* [[Nicholas Rankin]] – ''Telegram from Guernica: The Extraordinary Life of George Steer, War Correspondent'' {{ISBN|0-571-20563-1}}, 2003, [[Faber and Faber]]



{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Steer, George}}
[[Category:1909 births]]
[[Category:1944 deaths]]
[[Category:British male journalists]]
[[Category:English anti-fascists]]
[[Category:People educated at Winchester College]]
[[Category:Road incident deaths in India]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:British military personnel killed in World War II]]
[[Category:Special Operations Executive personnel]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:05, 8 March 2022
Line 39:		Line 39:
	==Military service and death==		==Military service and death==

	In June 1940 Steer joined the [[British Army]] and led an Ethiopian Forward Propaganda unit when British troops began to fight Italian troops in the country. After the defeat of the Italians in Ethiopia in 1941, Steer was influential in restoring Haile Selassie to the throne.<ref>[http://www.newstatesman.com/node/145087 Review of ''Telegram from Guernica: the extraordinary life of George Steer, war correspondent]'' in the ''[[New Statesman]]'' 24 March 2003. Retrieved 19 January 2014.</ref> Later Steer was sent to [[India]] to lead a Field Propaganda Unit in [[Burma]]. The unit tried to break [[Imperial Japan\|Japanese]] morale by loudspeakers with speeches and sentimental music. He was successively promoted from [[Lieutenant]] to [[Captain (armed forces)\|Captain]], [[Major]] and finally, [[Lieutenant-colonel]], and was attached to the [[Special Operations Executive]]. His work was appreciated and promoted by [[General Slim]], the local army commander, who wanted to expand the operation.		In June 1940 Steer joined the [[British Army]] and led an Ethiopian Forward Propaganda unit when British troops began to fight Italian troops in the country. After the defeat of the Italians in Ethiopia in 1941, Steer was influential in restoring Haile Selassie to the throne.<ref>[http://www.newstatesman.com/node/145087 Review of ''Telegram from Guernica: the extraordinary life of George Steer, war correspondent''] in the ''[[New Statesman]]'' 24 March 2003. Retrieved 19 January 2014.</ref> Later Steer was sent to [[India]] to lead a Field Propaganda Unit in [[Burma]]. The unit tried to break [[Imperial Japan\|Japanese]] morale by loudspeakers with speeches and sentimental music. He was successively promoted from [[Lieutenant]] to [[Captain (armed forces)\|Captain]], [[Major]] and finally, [[Lieutenant-colonel]], and was attached to the [[Special Operations Executive]]. His work was appreciated and promoted by [[General Slim]], the local army commander, who wanted to expand the operation.

	George Steer died in the crash of a heavily loaded Army [[Jeep]], which he was driving, in [[Burma]] on 25 December 1944 on the way to a Christmas party.		George Steer died in the crash of a heavily loaded Army [[Jeep]], which he was driving, in [[Burma]] on 25 December 1944 on the way to a Christmas party.
Line 52:		Line 52:
	* ''Germany in Africa. A series of articles dealing with the question of the former German African Colonies'' (1938).		* ''Germany in Africa. A series of articles dealing with the question of the former German African Colonies'' (1938).
	* ''A Date in the Desert'' (1939).		* ''A Date in the Desert'' (1939).
	* ''Judgment on German Africa (1939).		* ''Judgment on German Africa'' (1939).
	* ''Abyssinia to-day'' with [[W. Arnold-Forster]] (1939).		* ''Abyssinia to-day'' with [[W. Arnold-Forster]] (1939).
	* ''Sealed and delivered : a book on the Abyssinian Campaign'' (1942).		* ''Sealed and delivered : a book on the Abyssinian Campaign'' (1942).
Line 78:		Line 78:
	[[Category:Accidental deaths in Myanmar]]		[[Category:Accidental deaths in Myanmar]]
	[[Category:The Daily Telegraph people]]		[[Category:The Daily Telegraph people]]
			[[Category:South African emigrants to the United Kingdom]]