Frederick "Luke" Val Fildes 1880 - 1970

His many fencing friends will have learned with great regret of the death of Luke Fildes which occurred on 22nd April 1970 in his ninety-first year.

After leaving Trinity College Cambridge in 1900, he lived for a time in Paris and, seeking exercise, was induced to try fencing. He was fortunate in having as his first master the legendary Kirchhoffer then at the height of his fame.

When he returned to London some two years later he continued his fencing with Volland in Alfred Place, South Kensington. Later Volland became master at the Royal Automobile Club and Mr. Fildes joined Tassart, who had been chief assistant to Kirchhoffer, who came over from Paris to acquire Morel's Salle in Margaret Street.

An orthodox foilist in classical style, Fildes reached the final of the foil championship in 1913 and 1914 but his chief successes during a long career were achieved with the épée which was undoubtedly his favourite weapon.

He was a member of the British épée team at the Grande Semaine in Paris and at Ostend in 1907, then the two leading continental tournaments. He was a regular member of our international épée team, of which he was frequently "captain-selector", up to the first world war and was a member of the Olympic Team in 1908.

After active service with the Brigade of Guards, business required Luke Fildes to live in Liverpool and it was only on his return to London in 1925 that he was able to start fencing again with Tassart at All Soul's Place. The following year he was placed third in the épée championship.

When Tassart died in 1930, Fildes continued fencing with Tassart's pupil Professor Alfred Parkins and after the second war he was instrumental in establishing Parkins at the Landsowne Club of which he was chairman.

Although he was so long in the forefront of British and international épée fencing (he was runner-up in the épée championship in 1911 and 1913) it was not until 1929, two days after his fiftieth birthday, that he won his first major title the Miller-Hallett Cup. He followed this up a month later by at last winning the épée championship.

In spite of his distinguished record, Luke Fildes always regarded himself primarily as an administrator and indeed he gave equal service to British fencing in both capacities.

He was first elected to the A.F.A. Committee in 1909, was Assistant Secretary for épée 1928-1932 and became a vice-president of the association in 1936. In 1910 he was instrumental in starting the junior épée competition and when later this was upgraded to a junior championship, endowed it with the cup which bears his name. He also originated an Inter-Salle foil championship in 1911 and became the A.F.A. representative on the British Olympic Council in 1913. He made the first translation in English of the French rules for épée.

He was a noted organiser. For example he was responsible for the International Tournament at Earls Court in 1913, then regarded as the major annual event apart from the Olympic Games, and in 1948 he was joint chief organiser for the fencing events at the London Olympic Games and a member of the Directoire Technique.

On 24th October 1953 Luke Fildes was elected President of the Association a position which he filled with distinction until he retired in 1956. Our thanks were expressed to him at that time at a dinner held at the Café Royal.

C-L de Beaumont