Years of service 1906-1920 Parents James Galloway Weir Name James Weir Rank Air commodore | Role Aviator Allegiance United Kingdom Died 1973, Ayr, United Kingdom | |
Born 23 May 1887Cambuslang, Lanarkshire, Scotland ( 1887-05-23 ) Awards Order of the British Empire, Order of St Michael and St George Service/branch | ||
Air Commodore James George Weir, (23 May 1887 – 7 November 1973) was an early Scottish aviator and airman. He was a successful industrialist who financed Juan de la Cierva's development of the autogyro.
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Biography
Weir was born in Cambuslang, Lanarkshire, Scotland in 1887 the son of James Galloway Weir.
Weir was commissioned on 24 February 1906 as an officer in the 3rd (Renfrewshire) Volunteer Battalion, Princess Louise's (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders). On 1 April 1908 he transferred to the 3rd Highland (Howitzer) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery.
On 27 June 1911 Weir was found guilty of striking and knocking down on 13 April 1911 a former fiancee of his sister after he had broken off their engagement.
Weir was awarded the 24th Royal Aero Club aviators certificate after flying a Bleriot Monoplane at Hendon on 8 November 1910. In 1914 he was transferred to the Royal Flying Corps. He retired from the Royal Air Force on transfer to the Territorial Force.
In 1926 he helped form and became Chairman and Managing Director of the Cierva Autogiro Company. He later, in 1935, became a Director of the Bank of England. He was also deputy director of the engineering company G & J Weir Limited. Weir commuted to work daily in an autogyro, and Alfred Hitchcock worked the aircraft into the film The 39 Steps.