Donald Banks Major - General Sir Thomas MacDonald " Donald " Banks KCB DSO MC TD ( 1891 – 1975 ) was a distinguished soldier , senior civil servant and a founder member and first Chairman of the Guernsey Society . Family . Banks was born in Guernsey on 31 March 1891 , the son of Thomas Brownsort Banks , a stationer , and Margaret Elizabeth ( née Roebuck ) . He had an elder sister , Blanche , and a younger brother , Maurice Rowley . He married Dorothea Webster , and they had one daughter , Dawn Louise , born in 1932 . Dawn ' s godmother was Princess Louise , as a result of Donald ' s command of the Kensington Regiment of the Territorial Army , of which she was patron . They lived in Lymington , Hampshire . Dorothea died in 1947 . In 1948 , Donald married Elizabeth Bradley of Lymington , and they had two children together . They moved to Cadnam Lodge in the New Forest , where he kept a herd of Guernsey cattle . Early years . He attended Elizabeth College , Guernsey between 1899 and 1909 , where he was in the Shooting VIII 1908 - 9 . Career . He entered the Home Civil Service in 1909 in the Exchequer and Audit Department . In 1914 , he passed the Home Civil Service Examination , and was appointed to the Secretary ' s Office of the General Post Office ( GPO ) . 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 . He was responsible for setting up the Empire Air Training Scheme , and travelled to Australia and New Zealand to discuss the manufacture of aircraft there . 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 Organisation 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 1956 , through his role with De La Rue , he became Master of the Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards . 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 " " . Military Service . 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 . After World War I he continued with the Territorial Army , and commanded the Kensington Regiment from 1927 to 1931 . 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 FIDO , ( fog dispersal at airports ) , and PLUTO ( pipeline under the ocean taking fuels from England to Europe during & after the Invasion build - up ) . In 1946 , he was awarded Legion of Merit , Degree of Commander by the President of the United States of America . The citation reads : Guernsey Society . Donald was most concerned with the welfare of his fellow islanders exiled as a result of the German Occupation of the Channel Islands , and was in constant touch with the Home Office and Civil Servants responsible for the welfare of evacuees . He felt that there must be an informed voice and body of opinion among exiled Guernseymen and women that could influence the British Government , and assist the insular authorities after the hostilities were over . In 1942 , he was approached by the Home Office to see if anything could be done to get over a reassuring message to the islanders , as it was known that , despite the fact that German authorities had banned radios , that the BBC was still being picked up secretly in Guernsey and Jersey . It was broadcast by the BBC on 24 April 1942 . He was instrumental in the founding of the Guernsey Society in 1943 , as well as the publication of " Nos Iles " by the Channel Islands Study Group , following a Symposium in Oxford in 1944 . Donald served as Chairman of the Guernsey Society from its formation in 1943 until the end of 1946 , when he was appointed Vice President . He was succeeded as Chairman by Commander Esten De Jersey .