Sgt.John Morrison Weir

Sgt JM WEIR - Bomb Aimer

On the 12th July 1944 the crew flew their first operation in their new 'kite', a Mark III Lancaster coded UL-V2, serial number PB265. It was the Bomb Aimer, John Morrison Weir's 21st birthday. I believe that all of the Crew photographs that appear on this blog were taken on this day. This was at last, the Crew's own plane and had been entrusted to them as by now they were a tight unit and a more experienced crew. 'Jackie' Weir as he was known to his family flew in 30 different Lancasters, more than half of which were subsequently lost. he also flew in two of the most famous Centurion Lancasters during his ops at 576 Squadron. Born on the 12th of July 1923 in West Mayston, Old Monkland in Scotland, he was the son of former Third Lanark & Airieonians striker John Weir and Elizabeth Morrison. He was also an active sportsman and showed promise as a boxer around the travelling booths and fairs touring around the country between the wars. He was an Electrician when he volunteered for war service and did his basic training in Canada. Having survived the crash of July 44, he joined the MacDonald Crew for the remainder of his 30 missions. He married Helen Smith in Glasgow on the 11th November 1944. 'Jackie' Weir was my paternal grandfather. I have chronicled his time at 576 Squadron on Twitter in 'real-time' @SgtJMWeir and this blog is dedicated to his memory and that of the crew of Lancaster PB265. 

http://lancasterpb265.blogspot.co.uk/

F/LT Tommy Ryan

         Tommy’s wartime football recalled

Actor Simon Weir, well known for his roles in Scottish soaps High Road and River City, is looking for information on his grandfather’s wartime career in Shetland.

Flight Lieutenant Thomas Davis Ryan, known as Tommy, served in the RAF Volunteer Reserve based at RAF Sullom Voe. He was in the meteorological service, flying in Sunderland, Halifax and Oxford aircraft. Simon, 36, has a couple of mem­entos belonging to his grandfather, including a winner’s medal from a football competition in 1944 for The Shetland Times Cup. Tommy had previously played junior football with Duntocher Hibs and senior with Glasgow Celtic in the 1930s.
                                               

Wartime football in the isles was extremely popular, and according to Jim Peterson’s book The History of Shetland Football 1887-1987 an amazing 32 teams did battle in 1944, divided into divided into two divisions of 16 (north and south).
                                         

The RAF Sullom Voe team, known as “Northern”, won their division, ahead of the strangely named “Hashish Club” in second place, and also the knockout competition for The Shetland Times Cup. They defeated Bydand (Gordon Highlanders) 6-2 in the final at Gilbertson Park on 30th September in front of nearly 2,000 spectators. The winning team was: Simpson; Meldrum, Gregson; Phil­lips, Hardwick, Aarbuck; Ryan, Kane, Lee, Wright, Karlsen.
                                         

Following the war Tommy rejoined the RAF and served until 1961. After that he was a met officer for the British Gov­ernment and was posted to Nigeria, The Congo and Maastricht. He was last seen in Belize in the 1970s and Tarragona in Spain in 1982.

Simon never met his grandfather as he had left his wife and children in the mid-1960s, but would love to know more about him and his time at Sullom Voe.

Football team at Gilbertson Park. R.A.F. Sullom Voe v. Gordon Highlanders; this is the winning Royal Air Force team. Referee at left is "Peerie Ertie" Laurenson. The first player on the left in the back row is F/Lt Thomas D Ryan. Apparently 32 teams in Shetland were divided into two divisions of 16, north and south. "Northern" won their division, ahead of the strangely named "Hashish Club" in second place, and also the knockout competition for The Shetland TImes Cup. 
                                         

They defeated Bydand (Gordon Highlanders) 6-2 in the final at Gilbertson Park in Lerwick in front of nearly 2,000 spectators. The winning team was: Simpson; Meldrum, Gregson; Phillips, Hardwick, Aarbuck; Ryan, Kane, Lee, Wright, Karlsen. Those are the only details." - (information taken from Jim Peterson's book, "The History of Shetland Fooball 1887-1987")