Isle of Man Post Office has released a set of six stamps, honouring the life and career of Sir Frank Gill, island engineer and telephony pioneer.

Sir Frank Gill who was born in Castletown in 1866 chaired the committee which led to the foundation of the BBC.

Maxine Cannon, general manager, Isle of Man Stamps and Coins said: ’We are extremely proud to be celebrating another Manxman and one of Britain’s pioneers of telephony.

’His achievements and involvement in telephony and wireless broadcasting have laid the foundation of today’s communication. We are very grateful to author Robert Stimpson and the design team Andrew Robinson and EJC Design.’

Frank Gill entered the service of the United Telephone Co. in London at the age of 16 and by 1896 he was in charge of the National Telephone Co.’s activities in Ireland. From there, he became engineer-in-chief in London in 1902.

When the Post Office took over the National Telephone Co.’s system in 1912, he became a consulting engineer in partnership with Mr. W. W. Cook. Together they carried out work in Asia, Europe, North America and South America.

During the First World War, Gill was awarded an OBE for his service in the Ministry of Munitions. Another milestone of his career was his presidency at the Institution of Electrical Engineers, which spanned nearly 70 years.

By 1922 wireless telegraphy was developing rapidly and Gill feared similar nationalisation seen with telephones 10 years earlier. Therefore, he chaired the preliminary committee to establish one broadcasting company. The 1941 Birthday Honours List detailed Sir Frank Gill’s knighthood ’for services rendered in the development of the telephone industry and international telephony’.

He was suddenly taken ill and died in 1950.

The IET said: ’The engineering community is indebted to Sir Frank Gill’s revolutionary telecommunication advancements. We are proud to see the Isle of Man Post Office celebrating one of our extraordinary past presidents.’

The ’Sir Frank Gill’ collection is available as set and sheet set, presentation pack and first day cover.