IOC Member John Hanbury-Williams*

Tsar Nicholas II’s Comrade in Arms: IOC Member John Hanbury-Williams* By Richard K. Barney It was a somber group of family members and married Ann Emily Reiss, eldest daughter of Emil Reiss, dignitaries, including the representative of England’s owner of a business firm with substantial interests King George Vth, that followed the Union flag-draped in Far East Asia. Eventually, there were four children coffin of John Hanbury-Williams from St. George’s in the marriage, three girls and a boy.2 Returning Chapel on the grounds of Windsor Castle on the to England from South Africa inlate 1900, Hanbury- afternoon of 23 October 1946.1 Hanbury-Williams had Williams entered the War Office as private secretary to passed away five days earlier, in fact, on the day of his the Secretary of State for War, Sir John Broderick, serv- 87th birthday. His had been a colorful life, one imbued ing there until 1904, at which time he was promoted with family, high office, collision of arms, and yes, even to Brevet-Colonel. In November 1904 he was appoint- sport. In a lifetime of service to King and country, he ed Military Secretary to the new Governor-General to rose to become a Major-General in the British Army; a Canada, Lord Earl Grey. Arriving in Ottawa in early 1905, valued and trusted colleague of the last of the Romanov a series of events catapulted him into the then embryo tsars, Nicholas II; a loyal servant to the King of England; Olympic affairs of the Dominion, matters that will be and, parenthetically, a Member of the International addressed shortly. Hanbury-Williams served almost five Olympic Committee. Although his funeral was at tended years in Canada, returning to England in late 1909. by a king, princes and princesses, lords and ladies of Shortly before departing Canada, the British crown distinction, members of the military and Diplomatic made him a Knight Commander of the Victorian Order. Corp, education and industrial figures of note, and re- Henceforth, he would be addressed as Sir John. Imme- presentatives of the Red Cross, Girl Guides, and Windsor diately upon his return to England from Canada, further Youth Club. The International Olympic Committee was honors awaited him. He was promoted to Brigadier- John Hanbury- unrepresented, and this, less than two years before General and posted to Scotland, where he was placed Williams (1859–1946), the Games of the XIV Olympiad were scheduled to be in charge of Administration, Scotland Command. He elected to the IOC in celebrated in London in the summer of 1948. was promoted to Major-General in 1912. This was his last 1911. He resigned at Before delving into John Hanbury-Williams’ Olympic military promotion in the service to his country.3 end of 1920. In a book career, a short account of his colorful life and merito- At the very outbreak of the Great War, he embarked published in 1922 by rious career is in order. The youngest son of Ferdinand on what became the most important and trying Arthur L. Humphreys Hanbury-Williams, sheriff of Monmouthshire, and assignment of his career, Chief of the British Military in London, he describes Elizabeth Jane McRobert Hanbury-Williams, infant Mission at the Headquarters of the Russian Armies at his experiences with John was born on the 19th of October 1859 in Coldbrook, Baranovitchi.4 Later in his life, Hanbury-Williams wrote Tsar Nicholas II during Monmouthshire, Wales. He was educated at Wellington a book about his experiences serving in Russia with Tsar World War I and the College before entering military college at Sandhurst. At Nicholas, Commander in Chief of the Russian forces.5 Russian revolution. 19 Hanbury-Williams launched his military career, being When one considers the fate of Russia’s alliance with gazetted to the Royal Sussex Regiment and, thence, to the Western powers in the war against Germany and the 43rd Light Infantry. From 1878 to 1900 heserved with the Central Powers, as well as the horror of the Russian distinction on active service overseas, including the revolution and ultimately the massacre of Tsar Nicholas campaign against Arabi Pasha, where his horse was shot and his family, one is left in some awe by the immensity from beneath him at the Battle of Tel-el-Kebir (Egypt). of the events and personalities sur rounding Hanbury- Promoted to Major in 1896 he began a substantial Williams from early August 1914 to late April 1917. Living journey in the administration of British military and in quarters arranged in a railroad car, dining frequently diplomatic matters, serving, successively, in India as with the Tsar, the Tsarina, and a cadre of senior officers, Aide de Camp to Governor Sir M. E. Grant Duff in Madras sojourning frequently to forward battle positions on (1884-1885), in Burma as Aide de Camp to General Sir the eastern front, and witnessing the explosion of H. Macpherson (1886)), and in South Africa as Military revo lutionary fervor and hatred against the Romanovs, Secretary to Governor Sir Alfred Milner (1896-1900) provide the grist for Hanbury-Williams’ recollections. which included service in the Boer War. In 1888 he Surrounding the entire episode, and indeed the flavor 56 of his feelings, are Hanbury-Williams’ deep and abiding admiration, respect, indeed affection for the Romanov family, particularly the Emperor himself and his only son, the young Tsarevitch, with whom he formed a special bond. Following the withdrawal of Russia from World War I, but with the fighting still in progress on the western front, Hanbury-Williams was posted to the Hague in the Netherlands and then to Bern, Switzerland where he was in charge of the British Prisoner of War Department. In 1919, aged 60, he retired from military service and entered the Royal Household at Windsor Castle as First Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps, a post, he was to hold until 1934.6 From 1934 to his death in 1946, Hanbury- Williams lived in an apartment in the Henry III Tower at Windsor Castle, serving as Extra Equerry to the King. His life was one of notable achievement. Architect of Canada’s First Olympic Committee however, remained stymied.9 Be that as it may, when In the field: Hanbury- and the Nation’s First IOC Member London’s 1908 Olympic Games opened in July at Williams (in obser- Shepherd’s Bush, a Canadian team, 32 athletes strong, vation balloon basket) By the time of Hanbury-Williams’ arrival in Canada in clad, as its team manager related, in “neat cream white visits Tsar Nicholas’ early 1905, the phenomenon called the Modern Olympic uniforms”, marched into the stadium.10 John Howard troops on the Games was not completely unknown in the Dominion. Crocker, a Toronto YMCA physical education director, Russo-German No Canadian took part in the first Games of their modern served as the Canadian Team Manager, while the afore- front, July 1916. revival in 1896 in Athens; the organization of a Canadian mentioned William Sherring served as coach. team of amateur athletes for international competition The Canadian team performed admirably, but none was simply beyond the ways and means of the nation’s better than Robert Kerr of Hamilton, Ontario, who won fledgling sport governing bodies. George Orton, the gold medal in the 200 m and captured the bronze “renowned” Canadian miler, competed in what passed medal in the 100 m. Noted Canadian Onondoga Indian for the second Games in Paris in 1900. But Orton, born in marathon runner Tom Longboat was a favorite to win Strathroy, Ontario, and in 1900 a recent PhD graduate at the marathon event. Disappointingly, he failed to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, went to finish, though four of his teammates did complete the Paris as a representative of the New York Athletic Club, race among the top dozen finishers.11 Back in Canada, in effect, as part of the United States contingent of ath- Hanbury-Williams and his fellow Canadian Olympic letes.7 Orton won the 2500 m steeplechase and placed Committee Members, basked in the glory of Canadian third in the 400m hurdles. To this day, he is listed in success at the nation’s first Olympic Games as a the record books as American, not Canadian. Then, too, bonafide team.12 What was John Hanbury-Williams’ role Montreal policeman Étienne Desmarteau journeyed to and pathway to this landmark event? St. Louis to take part in what passed for the 1904 Olympic A year after Sir Albert Henry George Grey 13 was posted Games.8 Desmarteau was sent to the Games as a repre- to Canada in 1904 as Governor-General, Colonel John sentative of the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association. Hanbury-Williams arrived in the Dominion to take up The burly, moustachioed Desmarteau was the only non- duties as Lord Grey’s Military Secretary. Almost parallel American gold medal winner in track and field events, with Hanbury-Williams’ arrival in Canada was the winning the 56 pound weight throw and entering formulation of the British Olympic Association (BOA) history’s pantheon of official Olympic champions. which constituted the National Olympic Commit- And finally, William Sherring, a distance runner from tee for Great Britain. Headquartered in London, the city Hamilton, Ontario journeyed to Athens to take part in which ultimately agreed to organize the Games of the Games hosted by the Greeks in 1906, games that despite Fourth Olympiad scheduled for 1908 14, the BOA formed moves by some parties to have them declared part of the an executive body called the British Olympic Council official cycle, in the eyes of the IOC, to this day remain (BOC).

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