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A Tragic End
Max Martin Schultz has the misfortune of holding a tragic niche in the history of British wrestling. Precious little is known about him other than although usually billed on 1930s wrestling posters as French or German he was born Roy Martin Schutz (note there was no “l” in the name) in London on 1st September, 1913. He was of German heritage, the son of Martin and Charlotte Schutz, both born in Nassau, Germany.
Living in London before the war he worked as a furrier cutter, though declared himself unemployed and single in the 1939 Register. Following the outbreak of war in 1939 his parents were interned by the British Government on the Isle of Man. Thousands of foreign nationals were held in Manx internment camps during the war. Whilst some were political detainees or suspected spies many, as we believe was the case with the Schutz family, were innocent people caught up in the crossfire of war.
Our earliest documented sighting of Roy wrestling as Max Martin Schultz is in 1938, though we have undocumented results listed as early as 1933, with a Fritz Schultz, Carl Schultz and Dutch Schultz adding to the confusion. Following the outbreak of war he continued to wrestle in Britain until the autumn of 1940, though not surprisingly we now find him billed as English or Continental.
As he was of English birth Roy Schutz did not suffer the fate of his parents. He registered as a conscientious objector and early in 1940 was sent to Jersey to work on the land. For a time he shared lodgings with another British wrestler, Eric Pleasants, who eventually joined the Nazi S.S. Following the occupation of Jersey by the Germans on 30 June 1940 he married a local woman and fathered a child.
In November 1942, along with approximately 2000 other English born residents of the Channel Islands, Roy Schutz was deported to Germany with his wife and child. They were interned in ILAG VB in Biberach an der Riss in Southern Germany. The family returned to England after they were liberated in 1945.
Max Martin Schultz returned to the wrestling rings.
April 20th 1946 started out as just another day at the office. He was wrestling Leo Lightbody at Belle Vue, Manchester. He knew Lightbody well and it was his third Belle Vue appearance that month. Things didn’t turn out as planned. At the end of the match Schultz was taken to Manchester Royal Infirmary and two days later was declared dead.
The coroner, Jessel Rycroft, recorded a verdict of “Death from misadventure” and cleared Lightbody of any responsibility. We have found conflicting accounts of events leading to the accident. Newspaper reports stated that Schultz climbed the ropes and rebounded backwards into Leo Lightbody. Lightbody ducked, Schultz hit his head on the floor, and broke his neck. Suspecting something was wrong Lightbody did not fall on to Schultz. The referee, Dick Rogers, told the coroner Schultz escaped from a hammerlock, fell on his back and hit his head.
Whichever way the events unfolded the consequences were the tragic death of Max Martin Schultz on 20th April, 1946. A wrestling programme in aid of his family was held at Belle Vue in Manchester on 15th May, with Bert Assirati and Charlie Green headlining the event.
With thanks to Tim Lester for additional information.
Page added 21/04/2024
Page revised 11/05/2024
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