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Archive Report: Allied Forces

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.
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486
31st October 1942 486 (NZ) Squadron Typhoon Ib R8701 F/O. Weir

Operation: Patrol

Date: 31st October 1942 (Saturday)

Unit: No. 486 (NZ) Squadron (motto: Hiwa hau Maka - 'Beware of the Wild Winds'). 1 Group

Type: Typhoon Ib

Serial: R8701

Code: SA-?

Base: RAF Tangmere, Sussex

Location: English Channel

Pilot: F/O. Leslie Vincent Weir NZ/412294 RNZAF Age 36. Missing - believed killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off at about 16:15 hrs. on a stand-in patrol between St. Catherine's Point and Selsey Bill.

55 minutes later he called on his radio that he was going to have to bale out. Before he could do so the Typhoon dived into the sea about 6 miles SE of Selsey Bill. His No. 2 circled for 15 minutes but only sighted the pilots empty dingy.

Burial and personal details:

F/O. Leslie Vincent Weir. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 114. Born on the 22nd October 1906 at Whangarei. Worked as a marine engineer for South Westland Shipping. prior to service. A member of the West Coast United Aero Club - 'A' licence gained on the 30th September 1936. Enlisted at Levin on the 13th April 1941. Attached to No. 1 Elementary Flying Training School on the 24th May 1941. Embarked for Canada on the 22nd July 1941. Further training with No. 6 Service Flying Training School joining on the 18th August 1941. Awarded pilots badge on the 22nd November 1941 and received his commission. Embarked for England on the 14th November 1941. Attached to 55 Operational Training Unit on the 23rd December 1941. Joined 486 squadron on the 25th March 1942. Son of Archibald Douglas Weir, and of Emily Agnes Weir (nee Boyd), of Whangarei, New Zealand. A total of 427 flying hours logged and on his 21st operational sortie.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot with thanks to Jenifer Lemaire and to the extensive research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, Auckland Library Heritage Collection, Weekly News of New Zealand, other sources as quoted below:

KTY 22-08-2021

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Acknowledgements
Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and MWO François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
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Last Modified: 22 August 2021, 12:18

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