The Airmen's Stories - F/O A N C Weir

Archibald Nigel Charles Weir was born in Hythe, Kent on 2nd June 1919, the son of Wing Cdr. Archibald Graham Weir and Mary Evelyn Oldfeld Weir (nee Bartlett).

His father later went to Oxford as the first adjutant of the University Air Squadron. Weir was educated at Abberley Hall, Worcester and Winchester College.

In 1937 Weir went up to Christ Church College, Oxford, where he read Modern Greats. He learned to fly with the University Air Squadron.

Commissioned in the RAFVR in June 1939, Weir was called to full-time service at the outbreak of war. He completed his training at 2 FTS Brize Norton and in late February 1940 he went to the Harvard Flight there for operational training. On 8th April Weir was posted to Penrhos for bombing and gunnery exercises, after which he was briefly with 504 Squadron before joining 145 Squadron at Tangmere on 12th May.

Above: Weir fourth from left with 145 Squadron.

Near Dunkirk on 1st June 1940, Weir shared a Me110 and probably another. On 18th July he shared a He111, on the 22nd shared a Do17 and on 8th August claimed two Me109s and a Ju87 destroyed. On 11th August Weir's aircraft was damaged in combat with enemy fighters south of Swanage and he made a forced-landing near Christchurch, unhurt.

He was awarded the DFC (gazetted 30th August 1940).

Weir was lost on 7th November 1940, when he was shot down into the sea off Ventnor by a Me109 of JG2. His Hurricane, P2720, sank immediately.

He is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial, Panel 6. His portrait was made by Cuthbert Orde.

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Weir was the author of Verses of a Fighter Pilot, published by Faber in 1941.

Weir's father, W/Cdr. AG Weir, was killed on 30th April 1941 when the troopship SS Nerissa, on which he was OC troops, was torpedoed about 100 miles NW of County Donegal, Northern Ireland.

Weir's younger brother, Major AJA Weir, was killed in action with the Scots Guards at Anzio on 28th February 1944.

Above image courtesy of Dean Sumner.