{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2018}} {{Use British English|date=February 2018}} {{Infobox military person | name = James George Weir | image = | caption = | nickname = | birth_date = {{birth date|1887|05|23|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[Cambuslang]], Scotland | death_date = {{death date and age|1973|11|7|1887|05|23|df=yes}} | death_place = | burial_place = | allegiance = United Kingdom | branch = [[British Army]] (1906–1918)<br/>[[Royal Air Force]] (1918–1920) | service_years = 1906–1920 | rank = [[Air Commodore]] | service_number = | unit = | commands = | battles = [[First World War]] | awards = [[Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George]]<br/>[[Commander of the Order of the British Empire]]<br/>[[Order of the Crown of Italy|Officer of the Order of the Crown of Italy]]<br/>[[Officer of the Legion of Honour]] (France) | relations = | other_work = Director of the Bank of England |}} [[Air Commodore]] '''James George Weir''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|CMG|CBE}} (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 [[autogiro]].
==Biography== Weir was born in [[Cambuslang]], Lanarkshire, Scotland in 1887 the son of James Weir of [[Weir Group|G. & J. Weir Ltd.]] and younger brother of [[William Weir, 1st Viscount Weir|William Douglas Weir]]. Both were involved in the family engineering firm.
Weir was commissioned on 24 February 1906 as an officer in the 3rd (Renfrewshire) Volunteer Battalion, Princess Louise's ([[Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders]]).<ref name="rafweb" /> On 1 April 1908 he transferred to the 3rd Highland (Howitzer) Brigade, [[Royal Field Artillery]].<ref name="rafweb" />
On 27 June 1911 Weir was found guilty of striking and knocking down on 13 April 1911 a former fiancé of his sister after he had broken off their engagement.<ref name="assault" />
Weir was awarded the 24th [[Royal Aero Club]] aviators certificate after flying a [[Blériot XI|Bleriot Monoplane]] at [[RAF Hendon|Hendon]] on 8 November 1910. In 1914 he was transferred to the [[Royal Flying Corps]].<ref name="rafweb" /> 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]].<ref name="cierva" /> He later, in 1935, became a Director of the [[Bank of England]].<ref name="boe" /> He was also deputy director of the family engineering company, G. & J. Weir Ltd.<ref name="gaj" /> Weir commuted to work daily in an [[autogiro]], and [[Alfred Hitchcock]] worked the aircraft into the [[The 39 Steps (1935 film)|film The 39 Steps]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Travelling at the edge of space|url=http://ewds.strath.ac.uk/space/OnDemandSeminar/tabid/4560/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/288/Travelling-at-the-edge-of-space--10-March-2010.aspx|publisher=[[University of Strathclyde]]|accessdate=8 December 2012|date=10 March 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120310093203/http://ewds.strath.ac.uk/space/OnDemandSeminar/tabid/4560/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/288/Travelling-at-the-edge-of-space--10-March-2010.aspx|archivedate=10 March 2012}}</ref>
== Mora Weir == Weir married Mora (nee Morton) ib [[St Giles' Cathedral|St Giles]] in 1915<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/record-results/53612682692b3bf6e74ab|title=Results for Weir|date=29 November 2025|access-date=29 November 2025|website=ScotkandsPeople|url-status=live}}</ref>
Mora was the first woman to ba awarded a rotorcraft licence, and wiuld regulsarly pilot her husband from their home on Skeldon House, [[Ayrshire]] to the Weir factory in [[Cathcart]], [[Glasgow]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sghet.com/project/glasgow-southside-in-aviation-history-gj-weir-and-the-autogiro/|title=Glasgow Southside in aviation history – G&J Weir and the Autogiro|date=27 June 2025|access-date=29 November 2025|website=SGHET|last=Winton|first=Cameron|url-status=live}}</ref> Mora is amongst the women aviation pioneers listedi in [[List of women aviators]]
==Honours and awards== * 1 January 1918 Major (Temp./Lt. Col.) James George Weir, RFA, was appointed a [[Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George]] (CMG) in recognition of valuable services in connection with the War.<ref name="cmg" /> * 8 November 1918 Lt.Col ) (A./Brig.-Genl.) James George Weir, CMG, (RFA) was appointed an Officer of the [[Order of the Crown of Italy]].<ref name="coi" /> * 3 June 1919 appointed a [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (CBE) * 11 July 1919 – Lt.-Col. (A./Brig.-Genl.) James George Weir, CMG, CBE (RA, TF) was appointed an Officer of the [[Légion d'honneur]] by the President of the French Republic.<ref name="ldh" />
==See also== * [[Cierva W.9]] * [[Cierva Air Horse]]
==References== <references>
<ref name="rafweb">[http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Weir_JG.htm Air Commodore J G Weir]</ref> <ref name="cmg">{{London Gazette |issue=30450 |date=1 January 1918 |page=8 |supp=y }}</ref> <ref name="coi">{{London Gazette |issue=30999 |date=8 November 1918 |page=13200 |supp=y }}</ref> <ref name="ldh">{{London Gazette |issue=31457 |date=15 July 1919 |page=8986 |supp=y }}</ref> <ref name="boe"> {{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Bank Of England Board A New Candidate For Election |author= |department=Business and Finance |date=15 March 1935 |page=23 |pages= |issue=47013 |column=F }}</ref> <ref name="gaj"> {{Cite newspaper The Times |title=G. & J. Weir Limited. |author= |department=Business and Finance |date=21 January 1946 |page=7 |pages= |issue=50355 |column=A }}</ref> <ref name="assault"> {{Cite newspaper The Times |title=A Glasgow Assault Case. A Broken-Off Engagement. |author= |department=Law |date=28 June 1911 |page=7 |pages= |issue=39623 |column=c }}</ref> <ref name="cierva"> {{Cite newspaper The Times |title=The Auto-Gyro. English Company Formed |author= |department=News |date=29 March 1926 |page=21 |pages= |issue=44232 |column=c }}</ref>
</references>
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Weir, James George}} [[Category:1887 births]] [[Category:1973 deaths]] [[Category:Scottish aviators]] [[Category:Scottish airmen]] [[Category:British aviation pioneers]] [[Category:Royal Flying Corps officers]] [[Category:Royal Air Force generals of World War I]] [[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]] [[Category:Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George]] [[Category:Royal Artillery officers]] [[Category:Officers of the Legion of Honour]] [[Category:People from Cambuslang]] [[Category:Military personnel from South Lanarkshire]] [[Category:Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders officers]] [[Category:Royal Field Artillery officers]] [[Category:20th-century Scottish businesspeople]] [[Category:Scottish company founders]] [[Category:Scottish bankers]] [[Category:British corporate directors]]