TOPIC:

David,

No, I've just found references to their various offices. Meanwhile, someone else referred me to a book 'Unger with Bobs' which was about journalists in the war. I found a copy online and it just listed Alec as a journalist, the story itself did not tie in with the French's Scouts suggestion, nor indeed hold anything about the siege of Lindley.

I like the suggestion that he 'rode with General French's Scouts' ... and knowing he got the medal as a journalist, I think I probably have to assume he was in that capacity the whole time. Nevertheless, I'd be interested to know more about what happened to him at Lindley - maybe French's Scouts were there too.

As an aside, when he was in the Royal Naval Division Hood Battalion and heading for Antwerp, I noticed that General French was a leading player too. Also, Churchill was key in the formation of the RND - and he had also been a journalist in South Africa. As a reporter, Alec would certainly have known the CO of the unit he was following, as well as other journalists ... probably.

Kind regards
Annie

David,

Sorry, I was just re-reading your post and realise I should have said that Central News was an Agency, I guess rather like Reuters or the Press Association. They would have distributed news rather than printed it themselves.

So, I guess what would be interesting would be to find any reports (in any newspapers of the time) about the activities of General French's Scouts!

Thank you for making me think about the latter ... that's useful.

Kind regards
Annie

Annie,

I had another look for the Central News now that I know it is an agency rather than a paper in its own right. I found that Albert Victor Lindbergh, co-foundered the Central News Agency (CNA) in 1892. The CNA was "the first distributor of newspapers in Southern Africa and expanded into selling books and publishing school textbooks as well as the works of South African writers."

I could find find a few photos that had emanated from the CNA and, from the 1940s onwards, books published by them but very little else from the time.

I'll have a look for information on French's Scouts and see what/who is identified as the source of the information.

Regards
David

David,

Thank you for pursuing this for me, much appreciated.

Kind regards
Annie