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Royal Mail has unveiled a new stamp honouring Sir Thomas Peirson Frank, the 82nd President of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) as part of a collection commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
Sir Thomas was known as the engineer who ‘saved London from downing’ during the Blitz. When flood walls along the River Thames were bombed, he organised the emergency response, repairing them in time to prevent major flooding in the city.
Current ICE president, Professor Jim Hall, praised Sir Thomas’s work as “a great example of what civil engineers can accomplish for good when they respond to the challenges of the day.
“[Sir Thomas] helped shape the future of the city and keep Londoners safe. We can all be inspired by individuals who navigate difficult situations in this way,” Prof Hall said.
Sir Thomas had a distinguished engineering career. He worked on several notable infrastructure projects including London’s Waterloo, Putney, and Wandsworth bridges, sea defence works at Chesil Bank in Dorset, and a flood prevention scheme in Salford.
His international experience included working on the construction of bridges in Nigeria and power stations in Malaysia and Australia.
Sir Thomas’s association with the ICE began in 1906 when he became an associate member and then a full member in 1922. He held a post in ICE council in 1931 and was ICE president in 1945 -1946.
The stamp featuring Sir Thomas is part of Royal Mail’s ‘Valour and Victory’ collection, celebrating the anniversary of the end of World War II by honouring 11 individuals who made extraordinary contributions to the war effort.
Some of the other notable figures that are featured include: George Arthur Roberts, a military veteran, activist and the first Black man to join the London Auxiliary Fire Service; Mary Morris, who nursed troops returning from Dunkirk; codebreaker William (‘Bill’) Tutte; and Dame Vera Lynn, famous for her support of troops and her later advocacy for military veterans.
If you’d like to find out more about Sir Thomas Peirson Frank and the other figures featured in the collection, follow this link: https://tinyurl.com/mve5k6sp
The Valour and Victory collection is available from the Royal Mail website here: https://tinyurl.com/3ptnxr7b
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