Chinese Heritage Association of Australia Inc.

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Harold John Timperley.

Harold John Timperley (1898-1954) was an Australian investigative journalist who compiled and edited the first book published about “the rape of Nanking,” a term he used and which was later adopted as the title of Iris Chang’s 1997 book. Despite his significant contributions, he is all but forgotten in Australia and is better known in the United States and Great Britain.

Timperley was born in Bunbury, Western Australia, and worked as a journalist in Perth before taking up the position of China Correspondent for *The Guardian* (called *The Manchester Guardian* until 1959). He was in Nanking when the Japanese captured the city and witnessed some of the atrocities committed by the Japanese army. After escaping to Shanghai, his telegrams to *The Guardian* were censored by the Japanese. He then sailed for London with evidence he had collected, including photographs and film footage, briefed members of the House of Commons, and had a book published.

Reviews of his book, *What War Means: The Japanese Terror in China*, were published in major Australian newspapers after its release by Victor Gollancz, London, on 11 July 1938. The book, a brilliant piece of investigative journalism, became a bestseller, with the third impression released in October 1938. It presented a dossier of evidence, including eyewitness accounts, letters, journal extracts, and official reports, such as those from the International Committee for the Nanking Safety Zone.

The aim of this book is to give the world as accurately as possible the facts about the Japanese Army’s treatment of the Chinese civilian population in the 1937-8 hostilities so that war may be recognized for the detestable business it really is and thus be stripped of the false glamour with which militarist megalomaniacs seek to invest it. — *What War Means: The Japanese Terror in China*, p. 8

The 1938 American edition of the book, titled *Japanese Terror in China*, was published shortly after the London edition by Modern Age Books, New York. In September 2021, a facsimile version of the original US edition was released by Hassell Street Press. Scholars have deemed this work culturally significant, noting its importance to the knowledge base of civilization.

Timperley likely did more than any other individual to shape public opinion of China in Britain, America, and Australia during the Second World War. He greatly influenced community support for China relief funds. After publishing his book, he worked for the Chinese government in the Ministry of Information and traveled between London, Sydney, and Washington. Following the attack on Pearl Harbour, he became a “media celebrity” in Australia, giving regular ABC radio broadcasts and appearing in newsreel footage and newspaper articles.

Until 22 August 2024, the 1938 London edition of *What War Means* was listed as “In Copyright” by the National Library of Australia (NLA), with Timperley’s date of death inaccurately presumed to be 1998. The catalogue record has since been updated, reflecting his actual death date in 1954, and the Chinese Heritage Association of Australia (CHAA) facilitated the book’s digitization and availability on Trove, supported by a donation from Daphne Lowe Kelley.

The National Archives of Australia (NAA) holds six ABC radio broadcast scripts by Harold Timperley from 1942 and 1943. These scripts were also digitized, thanks to a donation by Cheryl Cumines, and are now publicly accessible.

National Library of Australia

Timperley, H.J. 1938, What War Means: The Japanese Terror in China, Victor Gollancz, London

Below is the link to the digital copy of What War Means: The Japanese Terror in China, the first book published about “the rape of Nanking,” compiled and edited by Australian investigative journalist and China Correspondent for the Manchester Guardian, Harold John Timperley. The cost of digitising the publication was covered by a donation from Daphne Lowe Kelley.

To save a PDF copy of the publication, click the “download” icon which appears on the left of your computer screen:

Digital Copy of What War Means: The Japanese Terror in China

National Archives of Australia

Harold John Timperley – Links to ABC Radio Broadcast Scripts (1942-1943)

Below are the links to the digital copies of six ABC Radio broadcast scripts. The cost of digitising these six scripts was covered by a donation from Cheryl Cumines.

On the home page for each talk script, there are four symbols representing Twitter, Facebook, Email, and Export PDF or Print. Click on the Export symbol to download the PDF copy to save or print.

National Archives - Timperley, Harold John - Events on the China Front - broadcast 3 September 1942 (ABC radio news commentary talk script) https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=33456585

National Archives - Timperley, Harold John - Japan and China - broadcast 28 September 1942 (ABC radio news commentary talk script) https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=33456586

National Archives - Timperley, Harold John - British-Chinese Relations - broadcast 12 October 1942 (ABC radio news commentary talk script) https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=33456587

National Archives - Timperley, Harold John - Our Friends the Chinese - (1) What are the Chinese People Like? - broadcast 9 March 1943 (ABC radio talk script) https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=9670999

National Archives - Timperley, Harold John - Our Friends the Chinese - (2) Where Wheelbarrows have Sails - broadcast 9 March 1943 (ABC radio talk script) https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=9671000

National Archives - Timperley, Harold John - Our Friends the Chinese - (3) China at War - broadcast 23 March 1943 (ABC radio talk script) https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=33456511

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