Robert Barrington-Ward facts for kids

Robert McGowan Barrington-Ward DSO MC (born February 23, 1891 – died February 29, 1948) was an English barrister (a type of lawyer) and journalist. He became the editor of The Times newspaper from 1941 until 1948.

Early Life and Military Service

Robert was the fourth son of Mark James Barrington-Ward. His father was a church leader and a school inspector. Robert went to Westminster School and then to Balliol College, Oxford, a famous university. While at Oxford, he was chosen to lead the Oxford Union Society, a well-known debating club.

He planned to work in law and politics. However, he started doing some editing work for The Times newspaper. In 1914, he became a secretary to the editor, Geoffrey Dawson.

When World War I began, Robert joined the army as an officer. He served in France and Belgium. He was recognized for his bravery three times. He also received two important awards: the Distinguished Service Order and the Military Cross.

In the 1920s, Robert married Adele Radice, who was a schoolteacher. They had two sons, Mark and Simon, and a daughter named Caroline. Mark later followed in his father's footsteps, serving in the army and becoming a newspaper editor.

A Career in Newspapers

After the war, Robert became a lawyer. But in 1919, he was asked to join The Observer, a Sunday newspaper, as an assistant editor. He did very well as a special reporter at the Paris Peace Conference, 1919. This experience taught him a lot about how newspapers work. He also became good friends with the editor, J. L. Garvin.

In 1927, Robert was invited back to The Times as an assistant editor. He took on many daily tasks for the newspaper. By 1929, he was writing most of the main articles about home policy and European issues. In 1934, he became the deputy editor.

Robert had seen the terrible effects of World War I. Because of this, he supported a policy called "appeasement" in the 1930s. This meant trying to avoid war by giving in to some of Germany's demands. He worked behind the scenes to promote this idea.

For example, Lester B. Pearson, who later became Prime Minister of Canada, remembered Robert visiting to discuss appeasement. This was when Germany sent troops into the Rhineland in 1936. Many people, including Robert, believed that strong action against Germany could lead to another war. Robert wanted Canada to tell Britain not to take harsh steps against Germany.

However, Robert changed his mind after Germany invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia in March 1939. He then believed that Germany needed to be stopped.

Two months later, the owner of The Times, John Jacob Astor, asked Robert to become the next editor. Robert agreed. But the current editor, Geoffrey Dawson, decided to stay on when World War II started. He finally retired in September 1941, and Robert became the new editor.

As editor, Robert was more interested in the newspaper's policies than in its business side. He had supported the Labour Party after World War I. So, he made the newspaper's views more left-leaning than previous editors. During the war, he felt it was important for the newspaper to support the government. But he also felt free to disagree with specific policies, like sending British troops to Greece in 1944. He often met with important leaders, including Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

Later Years and Death

In early 1947, Robert's friends and colleagues noticed he was not doing well. He took a long break, but his health continued to get worse. In November, he was advised to take three months off.

In January 1948, he traveled to South Africa. On his way back, he became very sick with malaria. His body was too weak to fight the illness. Robert Barrington-Ward died on board the ship MV Llangibby Castle. The ship was docked in the harbor of Dar es Salaam in Tanganyika (now part of Tanzania). He was buried there.