(Prize Bindings, Donald Banks 1891-1975.) Thirty seven early...

Hammer

£230

(Prize Bindings, Donald Banks 1891-1975.) Thirty seven early 20th Century prize leather bindings, all Elizabeth College Guernsey, 31 of which awarded to Major-General Sir Thomas MacDonald "Donald" Banks KCB DSO MC TD (31 March 1891 – 11 July 1975), British Army officer, senior civil servant and a founder member and first Chairman of the Guernsey Society, variously dated 1905-1909, 4 of which awarded to his brother Maurice Rowley Banks (b.1898), and dated 1913-1914, plus 2 others with no name of recipient to printed prize label on front pastedowns, all contemporary full leather gilt, mixed condition, spijes decorated in gilt, many with Elizabeth College school crests in gilt to front covers. Donald Banks (1891-1975) attended Elizabeth College, Guernsey between 1899 and 1909, where he was in the Shooting VIII 1908–9. He entered the Civil Service in 1909 in the Exchequer and Audit Department. In 1914, he passed the Civil Service Examination, and was appointed to the Secretary's Office of the General Post Office (GPO).

He saw service in the First World War as commanding officer of the 10th (Service) Battalion Essex Regiment and the 8th Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment. As a result of his actions, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO), Military Cross (MC), the Croix de Guerre, and was mentioned in despatches twice. He was Private Secretary to the Secretary of the GPO, and between 1920 and 1923 was Private Secretary to four Postmasters-General in succession. In 1924, he was appointed Deputy Controller of the Post Office Savings Bank, and became Controller in 1931. He became first Director-General of the Post Office in 1934, where he was responsible for the introduction of the emergency service '999', as well as the speaking clock ('TIM'). He was knighted in the New Years' Honours List of 1935. In 1936, he transferred to the Air Ministry, where he was appointed Permanent Secretary, in 1938 becoming first Permanent Under Secretary of State for Air. The Second World War he returned to military service, and was adjutant and Quartermaster General of the 50th (Northumbrian) Division. He served in the British Expenditionary Force (BEF) in 1940, and was mentioned in despatches. He became a major-general in 1943. From 1940 to 1945 he was Director-General of the Petroleum Warfare Department, which developed innovative applications for petrol during the conflict, include Fog Investigation and Dispersal Operation FIDO, (fog dispersal at airports), and PLUTO (pipeline under the ocean taking fuels from England to Europe during and after the invasion build-up). After World War II, he resumed his civil service career in the Air Ministry. Sir Donald was Head of the United Kingdom delegation to the International Civil Aviation Organization at Montreal in 1946, and Deputy Chairman of the Air Transport Advisory Council 1947–51. He was also a Director of De La Rue and Standard Telephones and Cables, and Chairman of the Anglo-Chinese Chamber of Commerce 1946–54. In his obituary, The Daily Telegraph described him as "a man of ideas whose versatility contributed much to the national well-being in war and peace". Maurice Rowley Banks (b.1898) saw active service in the Royal Flying Corps during WW1, destroying enemy shipping off the coast of the Netherlands, and also worked for the Air Ministry during WWII. Their father, Thomas Brownsort Banks (b.1860), was a stationer, being the owner of T.B. Banks & Co, the printer stated on the prize labels to front pastedowns of the books (37)