Bill Lindsay-Smith

Bill Lindsay-Smith was born in Burma (now Myamar) where his father was a divisional forest officer. Bill served in the Burma Campaign before moving to Wales in 1944 when he went to the University College North Wales (now known as Bangor University) for three years. Lindsay-Smith, like his father, became a Forestry Commission District Officer, for Gwydir Forest between 1951-62, before taking up a similar post in Aberystwyth

Lindsay-Smith played hockey at university and won representative honours with Caernarvon and North Wales. He went on to become a full Welsh International and won 15 caps. In 1950 he played for Wales in an international tournament in Barcelona, and the following year toured Spain with the Welsh squad.

Lindsay-Smith was one of three Welshmen in the Great Britain hockey squad for the 1952 Olympics, along with John Taylor and Graham Dadds. Sadly for Lindsay-Smith, he was the only one of the three who did not play.

At the age of 36 in 1958, Lindsay-Smith made a return to the game after a two-year lay-off due to a severe knee injury. He was also a fine cricketer and relaxed by playing chess. His wife also played hockey, for Ruthin Women’s Hockey Club.