Kenneth Stonehouse
Encyclopedia
Kenneth Stonehouse was a British
journalist who worked with the Reuters
news agency in the United States and Europe. He was killed in the downing of BOAC Flight 777
.
, South Africa
in 1908. He began his career working for the Cape Times
and then joined the staff of the South African Morning Newspapers in London
. He then applied to work for Reuters, who assigned him to New York
. Stonehouse was then sent to Washington, D.C.
as Reuters senior correspondent, covering top stories, including British Prime Minister
Winston Churchill
's visit to the United States
and Canada
during the Second World War. In the summer of 1943 Stonehouse had just completed an eighteen month assignment in Washington, D.C. when he volunteered to become a war correspondent with the United States armed forces
fighting in Europe. In order to return to Europe Stonehouse and his wife Evelyn on 12 May 1943 Portuguese liner S.S. Serpa Pinto in New York to sail to Portugal
, a neutral state
during the war. They arrived in Lisbon
on 28 May and booked a flight to London. On 1 June 1943 Stonehouse and his wife boarded BOAC Flight 777 to London when a German
fighter planes shot down the plane over the Bay of Biscay
, killing all on board.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
journalist who worked with the Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
news agency in the United States and Europe. He was killed in the downing of BOAC Flight 777
BOAC Flight 777
BOAC Flight 777-A, a scheduled British Overseas Airways Corporation civilian airline flight on 1 June 1943 from Portela Airport in Lisbon, Portugal, to Whitchurch Airport near Bristol, United Kingdom, was attacked by eight German Junkers Ju 88s and crashed into the Bay of Biscay, killing 17 "souls...
.
Life
Stonehouse was born in Cape TownCape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in 1908. He began his career working for the Cape Times
Cape Times
The Cape Times is an English language morning newspaper owned by Independent News & Media and published in Cape Town, South Africa. The first edition of the newspaper was published on 27 March 1876 by then editor Frederick York St Leger...
and then joined the staff of the South African Morning Newspapers in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He then applied to work for Reuters, who assigned him to New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Stonehouse was then sent to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
as Reuters senior correspondent, covering top stories, including British Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
's visit to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
during the Second World War. In the summer of 1943 Stonehouse had just completed an eighteen month assignment in Washington, D.C. when he volunteered to become a war correspondent with the United States armed forces
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
fighting in Europe. In order to return to Europe Stonehouse and his wife Evelyn on 12 May 1943 Portuguese liner S.S. Serpa Pinto in New York to sail to Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, a neutral state
Neutral Powers
Neutral Powers refers to those countries which remained neutral during World War II. During World War II, these nations were Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland...
during the war. They arrived in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
on 28 May and booked a flight to London. On 1 June 1943 Stonehouse and his wife boarded BOAC Flight 777 to London when a German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
fighter planes shot down the plane over the Bay of Biscay
Bay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...
, killing all on board.