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/
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