John Fletcher Frankish

John Frankish started his first newspaper job at the age of 15. He earned a four year scholarship at the University of Southern California and worked at several newspapers throughout California and the country prior to joining the United Press in 1935. He was transferred to New York in January 1944 where he worked at the war desk for several months in preparation of going overseas. According to the New York Times, he was "one of the ablest and best liked war correspondents" in the European theater. | | He was killed outside a small hotel in Chaudfontaine when German planes strafed the 1st Army press camp. Frankish had been inside the hotel when enemy planes approached and he ran outside to see what was happening after a bomb had been dropped. He did not have time to seek shelter when the second bomb dropped. | The bomb exploded about 18 feet from where Frankish was standing. Three Belgian soldiers were killed by the same bomb and about 20 First Army officers and men and half a dozen war correspondents were injured slightly. The hotel virtually was demolished.