AN Almondbury-born priest who spent his life fighting anti-semitism has died.
The Ven Francis House, 96, was one of the unsung heroes of the Church of England's work in rescuing persecuted Christians and Jews from Hitler's Europe.
He spent many years, particularly during the 1930s, travelling across Europe to help persecuted communities.
Mr House, who was ordained in 1937, also worked for the BBC during the Second World War, later becoming head of religious broadcasting.
He was born in Almondbury, but was brought up in Essex, where his father was a vicar.
He was educated at St George's School, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, and Wadham College, Oxford, where he read modern greats from 1927 to 1930.
He then became secretary of the Student Christian Movement and began to visit central Europe. Once, he infiltrated a Nazi youth training camp in East Prussia.
Mr House trained at Cuddesdon Theological College in Oxford and joined the Pembroke College Mission at Walworth, London, in 1935.
He carried on visiting Germany, meeting members of the opposition to Hitler.
In 1940, he served on the staff of Leeds Parish Church.
In 1942, the BBC recognised Mr House's unusual qualities and appointed him producer of religious broadcasts to Germany.
He became the BBC's head of religious broadcasting from 1947 to 1955.
He had a spell as Vicar of Pontefract and later of Gawsworth, Cheshire.
He was Archdeacon of Macclesfield from 1967 until 1978 and became vice-chairman of the Board of Mission and Unity.
Mr House retired to Leeds and continued to write.
He leaves a widow, Margaret, and two daughters.
