Luke Fildes

The son of artist Sir Luke Fildes, Luke jr. was educated at Marlborough College and Trinity, Cambridge. Upon leaving university he worked overseas for two years before working for chartered accountants and solicitors in the City. He was called to the Bar in 1903 where Fildes practiced law until the start of World War I when he served in the Coldstream Guards, before being injured at the Somme and returning to England and joining the Aldershot Command in charge of physical and bayonet training. After the war Fildes moved away from law and into business, working as legal adviser, secretary and advisory director of Lever Brothers, who later became Unilever, and he remained as an advisory director until 1956.

As a fencer, Fildes was a member of the British team from 1907 up to the outbreak of World War I, and in 1929, at the age of 50, he won the British épée championship. At the 1948 Olympics he was the joint chief organizer for the fencing events and served as president of the Amateur Fencing Association from 1953-56, and was president of the Épée Club from 1927 until his death. Fildes was married to Muriel John, daughter of sculptor Sir William Goscombe John, who later created a 25-inch high bronze statuette of his son-in-law in fencing kit.