William Eric Banks DSC, RN

Birth details unknown


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Ranks

15 May 1921 S.Lt.
15 Apr 1923 Lt.
15 Apr 1931 Lt.Cdr.
30 Jun 1937 Cdr.
31 Dec 1942 Capt.

Retired: 15 Jan 1952


Decorations

26 Jul 1940 DSC
1 Jan 1943 Mentioned in Despatches (MID)
21 Dec 1943 CBE

Warship Commands listed for William Eric Banks, RN


ShipRankTypeFromTo
HMS Clyde (N 12)Cdr.Submarine21 Feb 19383 Feb 1940
HMS LéopardCdr.Large destroyer6 Jul 194031 Aug 1940
HMS Leamington (G 19)Cdr.Destroyer23 Oct 1940Feb 1941
HMS Douglas (D 90)Cdr.DestroyerFeb 194120 Apr 1942
HMS Firedrake (H 79)Cdr.Destroyer4 May 19421 Sep 1942
HMS Bonaventure (ii) (F 139)Cdr.Submarine Depot Ship8 Nov 194216 Apr 1943

Career information

We currently have no career / biographical information on this officer.

Events related to this officer

Submarine HMS Clyde (N 12)


7 Sep 1939
HMS Clyde (Cdr. W.E. Banks, RN) arrived at Freetown. (1)

8 Sep 1939
HMS Clyde (Cdr. W.E. Banks, RN) departed Freetown for her 1st war patrol. she was ordered to patrol in the Gulf of Guinea.

No map can be displayed as there is no log available for HMS Clyde for this period. (2)

2 Oct 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Clyde (Cdr. W.E. Banks, RN) ended her 1st war patrol at Freetown. (1)

5 Oct 1939
HMS Clyde (Cdr. W.E. Banks, RN) departed Freetown for Dakar for a period of rest. (1)

14 Oct 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Clyde (Cdr. W.E. Banks, RN) departed Dakar for Freetown. (3)

16 Oct 1939
HMS Clyde (Cdr. W.E. Banks, RN) arrived at Freetown with one engine out of action. (2)

17 Oct 1939
After repairs, HMS Clyde (Cdr. W.E. Banks, RN), departed Freetown for her 2nd war patrol. She was ordered to make a short patrol off the Cape Verde Islands.

No map can be displayed as there is no log available for HMS Clyde for this period. (4)

30 Oct 1939
HMS Clyde (Cdr. W.E. Banks, RN) ended her 2nd war patrol at Freetown. During her patrol she had landed two ratings with Malaria at Dakar. (1)

8 Nov 1939
HMS Clyde (Cdr. W.E. Banks, RN) departed Freetown for her 3rd war patrol. She was ordered to patrol between Freetown and 20°W.

No map can be displayed as there is no log available for HMS Clyde for this period. (1)

11 Nov 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Clyde (Cdr. W.E. Banks, RN) is ordered to return to Freetown. (1)

13 Nov 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Clyde (Cdr. W.E. Banks, RN) ended her 3rd war patrol at Freetown. (1)

20 Nov 1939
HMS Clyde (Cdr. W.E. Banks, RN) departed Freetown for her 4th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol between Freetown and 20°W.

No map can be displayed as there is no log available for HMS Clyde for this period. (1)

2 Dec 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Clyde (Cdr. W.E. Banks, RN) ended her 4th war patrol at Freetown. (1)

7 Dec 1939
HMS Clyde (Cdr. W.E. Banks, RN) departed Freetown for her 5th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol between 03°N, 23°W and 03°N, 28°W and from the latter position to 05°15'N, 23°W from p.m. 9 December to a.m. 13 December. Clyde was then ordered to proceed to Dakar to dock.

No map can be displayed as there is no log available for HMS Clyde for this period. (1)

15 Dec 1939
HMS Clyde (Cdr. W.E. Banks, RN) arrived at Dakar to dock ending her 5th war patrol there. (4)

29 Dec 1939
HMS Clyde (Cdr. W.E. Banks, RN) returned to Freetown having docked at Dakar. (4)

5 Jan 1940
HMS Clyde (Cdr. W.E. Banks, RN) departed Freetown for Portsmouth.

No map can be displayed as there is no log available for HMS Clyde for this period. (1)

19 Jan 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Clyde (Cdr. W.E. Banks, RN) arrived at Portsmouth. Engine defects delayed her onwards passage to Blyth. (1)


Destroyer HMS Douglas (D 90)


28 Apr 1941 (position 59.51, -15.30)
German U-boat U-65 was sunk in the North Atlantic south-east of Iceland in position 59°51'N, 15°30'W, by depth charges from the British destroyer HMS Douglas (Cdr. W.E. Banks, RN).

HMS Douglas also picks up 18 men from the British tanker Capulet that was torpedoed and damaged by German U-boat U-552 south of Iceland in position 60°16'N, 16°10'W.
HMS Douglas then tried to sink the tanker with gunfire but failed to do so.
The abandoned wreck was finally sunk on 2 May 1941 by German U-boat U-201 south of Iceland in position 60°00'N, 16°00'W.

Sources

  1. ADM 199/2550
  2. ADM 199/2550 + ADM 199/380
  3. ADM 53/109170
  4. ADM 199/380

ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.


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