Francis James
Alfred Francis James (21 April 1918 – 24 August 1992) was an Australian publisher known for being imprisoned in China as a spy.
Early life
James was born in
Between 1937 and 1939 James served with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). At the outbreak of World War II, James travelled to Britain and joined the Royal Air Force, enlisting on the last day of the Battle of Britain. After pilot training and operations, he was shot down over France on Anzac Day, 25 April 1942, receiving severe burns to his face and eyes. He was captured, caused a great deal of trouble in German military hospitals and POW camps, and was then repatriated, through Cairo Red Cross, because of his injuries. He was formally invalided out of the Royal Air Force in April 1945 and received a Totally and Permanently Incapacitated pension from the British Government for the rest of his life. In the same month he married Joyce Staff in London.
Publishing career
After returning to Australia, James was employed as a journalist with The Sydney Morning Herald in 1950. He was a distinctive figure, habitually wearing a black broad-brimmed hat and a cloak.
In 1952, James took over management of
Controversy continued when in 1964, James was fined £50 for the offensive publication of the Oz magazine.
During the 1960s he used The Anglican to campaign against the Vietnam War and in 1966 stood as a candidate for the Liberal Reform Group in the federal election. He visited North Vietnam twice.
Imprisonment in China
In spring 1969, James travelled to China with the support of an Australian senator, and while there he "ran into a man I had met before, a
James went on to the United Kingdom and (in October 1969) Hong Kong followed by Guangdong, China where he was arrested on November 4 for alleged spying.[5] After over three years' imprisonment, described as "constant interrogation and solitary confinement", he was released and expelled in 1973 after lobbying by his old friend Gough Whitlam, who was then Prime Minister.[5]
Death
Francis James died in 1992, aged 74.
References
- ^ a b c "Australian Dictionary of Biography: Francis James". Retrieved 2 October 2021.
- ^ "Inside Story: Nine-tenths of the law, 3 June 2010". Retrieved 2 October 2021.
- The Toronto Star. 9 August 1969. p. 10.
- ^ Francis James (15 June 1969). The Sunday Times.
- ^ a b c "The Press: China Frees an Enigma". Time. 29 January 1973.