Born in Leeds to engineer Arthur and his wife Ada Shanks. He married Hilda Harrison in 1944 in Eastbourne, Sussex.
| Unit or location | Role | Posted from | until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whitby, Area 7 | Area Officer Royal Signals | 13 May 1942 | 06 Mar 1944 |
| Bowland, Area 10 | Area Officer Royal Signals | 29 Nov 1941 | 01 Apr 1942 |
| Kent Network, Area 13 | Area Officer Royal Signals | 1940 | 1941 |
| South Dalton Instation | Area Officer Royal Signals | 1942 | 1944 |
| Bachelor's Hall Instation | Area Officer Royal Signals | Unknown | Unknown |
Architect
13 June 1911 Commissioned.
1911 Wessex Field Company Royal Engineers Territorial Army.
1914 Resigned Commission. Served in Royal Engineers during First World War. In the First World War, Signals were a branch of the Royal Engineers.
1 Oct 1916 Temporary Second Lieutenant
1 Sept 1921 Relinquished Commission.
May 1941 commissioned into Royal Signals. Captain Ken Ward recalled that Shanks was in Kent with Peter Fleming who left at the end of 1940. He may have been serving as a non-commissioned officer or else as an Officer in appearance but without formally being recommissioned.
Signalman Bill Bartholomew remembers Captain Shanks at Bachelors Hall and him being fond of the pig in the orchard !
Prewar radio amateur with callsign G2QV. His WW1 service record states he was 5 foot 10 inches tall with blue eyes and fair hair and a scar on the left side of his chest.
11 Dec 1914 he was charged with not complying with an order. 15 Jan 1915 he was charged with being absent from duty and lying to an officer.
He was a member, and later officer of Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers. He and his wife breed Old English Sheepdogs and displayed them.
TNA ref WO121
Bill Bartholomew via Brian Drury