Who was Sir Donald Banks?

Sunday 30 April 2023

The latest Sarnian to be honored with a commemorative blue plaque in the High Street had a distinguished military and public service career throughout the 20th century – with his Telegraph obituary describing him as “a man of ideas whose versatility contributed much to the national well-being in war and peace”.

Major-General Sir Donald Banks KCB DSO MC TD, born Thomas Macdonald Banks in 1891, grew up above his father’s bookshop at 43 High Street, St. Peter Port. He attended Elizabeth College before leaving the island in 1909 to become a British Civil Servant.

With the outbreak of war in 1914, he rose the ranks from Private in the London Yeomanry to Lieutenant Colonel commanding the 10th Essex Regiment. He was awarded the Military Cross, Distinguished Service Order, Croix de Guerre and was mentioned in dispatches twice.

Once the war was won, he was appointed the first Director General of the Post Office before transferring to the Air Ministry, to help the Royal Air Force regain its strength prior to the Second World War.

Prime Minister Winston Churchill invited Sir Donald to create the Petroleum Warfare Department which helped develop new technologies to turn the tide of war, such as fog dispersal systems for airfields and the fuel pipeline under the English Channel (PLUTO) which powered the liberating forces as they headed for Berlin.

General Eisenhower labelled it the second-best innovation developed for D-Day, and Sir Donald was awarded the US Presidential Legion of Honour. 

Sir Donald never returned to Guernsey to live, but always remembered his roots. In WWII he lobbied the British Government to ensure the interests of islanders were heard through the Guernsey Society, was involved with overseeing Channel refugees, and ensured a BBC broadcast honouring the island was made in 1942 for those using prohibited radios in the islands.

1/2 Major-General Sir Donald Banks KCB DSO MC TD will become the next islander to be commemorated with a blue plaque, with an unveiling at 43 High Street, St Peter Port on 8 May 2023 at 11:00. This will be Guernsey Museum’s 12th Blue Plaque since the scheme was launched in 2008. pic.twitter.com/Oo2IfeiYfK

— States of Guernsey (@Govgg) April 27, 2023

A blue plaque in his name will be unveiled by Guernsey’s Bailiff, Richard McMahon, on 8 May at 11:00 with a guard of honour provided by 10th Essex Living History Group (who model themselves on Banks’ WW1 regiment) and the Elizabeth College Combined Cadet Force.

It will fall in the middle of Coronation and Liberation celebrations.

Helen Glencross, Head of Heritage Services, and member of the Blue Plaques Panel, said: “The Panel was delighted to receive this nomination for Sir Donald Banks as he is such a worthy recipient. His plaque will be prominent on the High Street and we are very grateful to the owners of the property who have made this possible."

Steve Foote, Vice-Chairman of the Guernsey Society and owner of Blue Ormer added: “It’s wonderful to see this Blue Plaque being unveiled to such a well-deserved and devoted Guernseyman. Although he never returned to live in his native island, his love of Guernsey and the wellbeing of the islanders was never far from his mind. In particular his efforts during World War 2, when he formed the Guernsey Society to keep the plight of the islanders at the forefront of the British Government’s plans."

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