27 Facts About Alan Winnington

Alan Winnington was a British journalist, war correspondent, movie actor, anthropologist, and Communist activist, most notable for his coverage of the Korean War and the Chinese revolution.

In 1950, Winnington authored I saw the truth in Korea, an anti-war pamphlet containing photographic evidence of the mass graves of civilians executed by the South Korean police.

The publishing of this leaflet led to the British government debating whether to have Alan Winnington tried for treason, a charge which carried the death penalty, though it was instead decided to make him stateless by refusing to renew his passport.

Alan Winnington helped to secure the fair treatment of British and American POWs captured by Chinese and North Korean forces.

Now permanently living in China, Alan Winnington undertook an ethnographic study of isolated regions in South-West China.

Alan Winnington travelled to Norsu territory in Sichuan to document the abolition of slavery by the Chinese Communist Party, interviewing freed slaves and former headhunters, becoming the first European to live within a Norsu community and return alive.

Alan Winnington lived among the Wa people, interviewing their shamans and headhunters.

Alan Winnington's findings were published in his book Slaves of the Cool Mountains.

Alan Winnington travelled to Tibet as an honoured guest of both the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama, experiences which he recorded in the travelog Tibet.

Alan Winnington spent the remainder of his life in East Germany, working as an author of crime-fiction, children's books, and starring as a movie actor in various films.

Currently Alan Winnington's work is being used by activists and historians to uncover the location of mass graves in Taejon in preparation for an upcoming peace park.

Alan Winnington confessed that in his youth he made a living during the Depression by making counterfeit silver coins.

Alan Winnington became a member of the Communist Party of Great Britain British Communist Party around 1934.

Alan Winnington became a branch secretary in Walthamstow after finding the party through discussions with leading British communist Harry Pollitt.

In 1948 Alan Winnington travelled to China to advise the Chinese Communist Party's information services.

Alan Winnington accompanied the People's Liberation Army in the final stages of the Chinese Civil War.

In 1950 Alan Winnington became one of only two Western English-speaking correspondents to accompany communist forces in the Korean War, the other being Australian journalist Wilfred Burchett.

Alan Winnington was present with Burchett during Korean War peace talks in Kaesong, 1951.

Alan Winnington was accused of being involved in the interrogation of British prisoners of war in Korea.

In 1954 Alan Winnington's passport expired and was not renewed by the British government authorities making him virtually stateless.

Alan Winnington's findings were published in an anthropological study titled "Slaves of the Cool Mountains: Travels Among The Head-hunters and Slave Owners in South-west China".

Alan Winnington wrote that by the time he was able to interview and record the Wa, including numerous head-hunters, the practice of head-hunting was already in the process of being abolished.

Alan Winnington found that many of the Wa he interviewed viewed head-hunting as an embarrassing and shameful practice that they would be happy to see abolished.

Alan Winnington arrived in Germany as the Daily Worker's East Berlin correspondent.

Alan Winnington started a new family in Germany and married a woman called Ursula Wittbrodt, who later became Ursula Winnington in 1967.

Alan Winnington began writing fiction alongside his work as a journalist, mostly novels of the crime-fiction genre.

In 1980, Alan Winnington wrote his autobiography, Breakfast with Mao, which was published posthumously in 1986, after his death in 1983.