Expelled from Berlin and Vienna for his critical reporting of the Nazis and his condemnation of their persecution of the Jews, Segrue was named in the Sonderfahndungsliste G.B., commonly referred to as ‘The Black Book,’ a list of people whom the SS had marked down for immediate arrest in the event of the Germans’ successfully completing the invasion of Britain.
His father, who was born in County Kerry, was a financial publicity consultant, director of the City News Agency and former journalist who was, for many years, associated with T. P. O'Connor in his newspaper enterprises.
[3] From 1918 into the 1920s, Segrue continued to report on current events in an ever-changing and politically unstable Europe, spending several years as the Daily News’ Berlin correspondent.
[9] Segrue, who was noted as one of the first reporters to enter Communist Russia,[5] would become well acquainted with the country, undertaking a tour in autumn 1921,[10] during which time he interviewed Russian writer and political activist Maxim Gorky.
A devout Roman Catholic and passionate liberal, Segrue was becoming increasingly uneasy about the rise of fascism throughout continental Europe, a concern he shared with those closest to him.
[14] The election of 1933 confirmed Segrue’s worst fears, but he continued to report on Germany’s new leader with the honesty for which he was well known - whilst displaying consideration for diplomatic relations - hoping that Hitler’s successful acquisition of the most powerful office in the country would be short-lived.
[13] Into the 1930s, Segrue continued his work as Berlin correspondent, reporting on such current events as the Reichstag Fire Decree of 28 February 1933 (after which he labelled the German government a ‘dictatorship’), Hitler’s actions against the trade unions and the Röhm purge of 30 June to 2 July 1934.
In his book, ‘First with the Truth: Newspapermen in Action,’ Egon Larsen recounts the story of the time S.S. officials stormed into Segrue’s room and compelled him to compose a pro-Hitler message to send to the News Chronicle, insisting that it be in German (so they could understand exactly what he was writing), whilst threatening him with their weapons.
[16] The new administration also placed significant pressure upon the British legation in Vienna to intervene, in an attempt to prevent Segrue from publishing more of his highly critical articles.
[16] The British official, who was tasked with relaying the message from the Viennese diplomatic office to Segrue, pleaded with him to “tone down his approach because it was embarrassing in 'a delicate situation.
He then presented his passport and declared: “I am not a Jew, but a subject of His Majesty, the King of England.” Turning towards the S.S. commander, he stated: “I could scarcely believe that the stories about your brutality were true.
During the early stages of the war, he reported for the News Chronicle from Budapest, whilst also travelling extensively within the regions of continental Europe still open to him.
[4] He was present during Operation Retribution, the April 1941 German bombing of Belgrade, where David Walker of the Daily Mirror saw him calmly writing his dispatch by a blown-out hotel window.
[23] As a result of his open defiance and fierce criticism of the Nazis, he had been added to the Sonderfahndungsliste G.B., commonly referred to as ‘The Black Book,’ a list of people whom the SS had marked down for immediate arrest in the event of the Germans’ successfully completing the invasion of Britain.
[26] In Belgrade, Segrue was informed that the final escape transport was departing the city, but he refused to leave, insisting that he finish his story first, to the disbelief of the messenger.
[28] The account of the incident in Leopoldstadt was recorded on a plaque, located in the editorial department of the News Chronicle,[22] which commemorated Segrue's years of dedicated service.