William E. Banks

{{Short description|Commander of the Ceylon Navy}}

{{Infobox military person

| honorific_prefix = Captain

| name = W. E. Banks

| honorific_suffix = {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CBE|DSC}}

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| birth_date = 17 July 1900{{cite web |title=Name Banks, William Eric|url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8126360 |publisher=The National Archives |access-date=14 February 2024 |date=25 October 1918}}

| death_date = 1 November 1986 (aged 86)

| birth_place = Northwood, Middlesex, England1901 England Census

| death_place = Gloucestershire

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| birth_name = William Eric Banks

| allegiance = United Kingdom
Ceylon

| branch = Royal Navy
Royal Ceylon Navy

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| rank = Captain

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| commands = Commander of the Royal Ceylon Navy

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William Eric Banks (17 July 1900 – 1 November 1986) was a British Royal Navy officer who was the first Commander of the Royal Ceylon Navy. He was appointed on 2 December 1950 until 25 November 1951. He was succeeded by J. R. S. Brown.{{cite web|title=Past Commanders|url=http://www.navy.lk/past-commanders.html|publisher=navy.lk|accessdate=17 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140902032132/http://www.navy.lk/past-commanders.html|archive-date=2 September 2014|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}

In 1940, Banks was awarded the DSC.{{London Gazette |date= 26 July 1940|issue= 34907| page=4654 |supp=y}} He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire "for courage and undaunted devotion to duty."{{London Gazette |date=17 December 1943 |issue=36295 | page= 5539 |supp=y}}