Frederick Harkness HUMPHREYS

Fred Humphreys was one of three City of London Policemen who won Olympic gold medals in 1908 and 1920 and silver in 1912. At the time of the 120 Olympics, Humphreys was 42 years and 203 days old and is the oldest ever tug-of-war gold medalist. He also competed in the heavyweight division of both the freestyle and Greco-Roman heavyweight wrestling competitions in 1908, but in both styles he lost his first bout to the ultimate winner of the silver medal. Humphreys served in the Royal Navy for eight years and fought in the Boer War. In 1900, he joined the police force and was based at the Bishopsgate police station. From 1915-19 Humphreys worked as a mechanic for the Royal Naval Air Service. Subsequently, he returned to the police force as a constable and retired in 1925.