Reginald Gyles

Reginald Gyles played hockey for Bath and Gloucestershire as a half-back or forward. In between the two World Wars, he served as secretary of the Gloucestershire County Hockey Association, and later acted as an umpire, officiating at the 1948 London Olympics. He was an umpire in the India-Netherlands semi-final match.

Gyles served as a lieutenant in Egypt with the Gloucestershire Regiment in World War I, and after working as an insurance clerk, started the Bristol-based sports outfitters of Gyles Brothers, with his older brother Leonard, a fellow hockey player. Reginald’s wife died when she was just 32, and he suffered more tragedy when his son, Frederick, was killed in action in Italy, aged 24, during World War II. Gyles was a very good contract bridge player, and reached “master” standard.