Sandy Giles was the son of Alexander Falconer Giles, Deputy Secretary of the University of Edinburgh, as well as Reader in Ancient Greek and Roman History. Alexander Falconer Giles was a personal and professional friend of Thomson's.

The two families were close, having on more than one occasion spent Christmas together, and Sandy Giles became a close friend of Hector Thomson's. At the time of writing, Sandy Giles was a knight of the realm, having been awarded a knighthood due to his work with the Colonial service in East Africa during the war.