Valentine Williams
Valentine George Williams was a notable British journalist and author born on October 20, 1883, in London. The son of G. Douglas Williams, the chief editor of Reuters News Agency, he demonstrated an early interest in literature, particularly mystery fiction, which began at the age of nine with Sherlock Holmes stories. His career in journalism took flight when he joined Reuters as a subeditor and later became their Berlin correspondent in 1904. Williams covered significant international events, including the Portuguese Revolution and the Balkan Wars, and was the first accredited correspondent to British General Headquarters during World War I. He served in the Irish Guards and was awarded the Military Cross for his bravery. Alongside his journalism, he authored around thirty novels, primarily in the spy and thriller genres. His autobiography, "The World of Action," was published in 1938, and he continued his contributions during World War II, working for the Foreign Office and the British embassy in Washington, D.C. Williams passed away on November 20, 1946, leaving behind his wife, Alice.
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Subject Terms
Valentine Williams
Writer
- Born: October 20, 1883
- Birthplace: London, England
- Died: November 20, 1946
- Place of death: New York, New York
Biography
Valentine George Williams was born in London on October 20, 1883. He was the son of G. Douglas Williams, the chief editor of Reuters News Agency. Williams was educated at Downside School and was later privately educated in Germany.
At the age of nine, Williams discovered mystery fiction by reading the Sherlock Holmes stories that were published in Strand Magazine. Once he had found mystery fiction, Williams read many works by the Sensation novelists of the 1860’s and by Emile Gaboriau. William would later write a comprehensive biographical and critical article about Gaboriau for the National Review.
At the age of nine, Williams joined Reuters as a subeditor. In 1904, he became the Berlin correspondent for Reuters. Williams joined the Daily Mail in 1909 and later became the newspaper’s Paris correspondent. Over the next few years, Williams was assigned to report on international stories that included the Portuguese Revolution in 1910 and the Balkan Wars in 1913.
On the outbreak of World War I, Williams was sent to the western front and was the first accredited correspondent to British General Headquarters. He disagreed with what he called “the unenlightened and unimaginative censorship” by the British army’s senior staff. To avoid the stringent censorship, Williams enlisted the aid of writer John Buchan to get his first novel past the wartime censors. Williams joined the Irish Guards as a second lieutenant in 1915 and saw action at the front near Somme, where he was wounded in 1916. He was awarded the Military Cross for his participation in the war and also received the Order of the Crown from Belgium. After the war, Williams was in charge of staff at the Versailles Peace Conference in 1919.
Williams continued to work as a freelance journalist after the war. In addition to his journalism work, he managed to produce thirty novels in two decades. Most of his work is in the spy and thriller categories. In 1938, Williams published his autobiography, The World of Action: The Autobiography of Valentine Williams.
Williams’s career as a soldier did not end with World War I. With the onset of World War II, he once again performed work for the Foreign Office in London in 1939 and at the British embassy in Washington, D.C., in 1941. Williams died on November 20, 1946. He was survived by his wife, Alice.