Did you know what happened to Sqn Ldr Ian 'Beery' Weir?

[telsurrey]

I would be grateful if anyone could help!

“Twotimer...
14th Dec 2006, 22:01
Wensleydale's post stirred a few memories. From my book: 30 Sep 83; WL 790; Wg Cdr D G------y; Local Area - S/L Weir's ashes committed to sea”

This quote from the thread 'Did you know Sqn Ldr Ian 'Beery' Weir'
confirms the year of his death, and the anecdotes in this thread are humorous and reveal interesting aspects of his personality, but nobody touches on the manner of his death.

I was friendly with Ian. We went to the South Shields Grammar School for Boys, belonged to the same crowd, and both played in the same school football and tennis teams. I would like to know what happened to Ian.

I have searched online for details but without success. I’m sure the posters on that other thread could help, but it was written over 10 years ago. Unfortunately, I'm new, so I can't use the Personal Message Service to contact them individually. That’s why I’ve started a new thread. Hope you can help!

Much obliged!

[NutLoose]

As I never got a reply from his son who only was linked to a pm and not an email address, I would suggest you contact a moderator and ask if they can send an email in your behalf. If you cannot pm them open a thread addressed to them, they will pick it up..... And good luck in your quest.

[racedo]

Reported post. Easiest way for Mods to see it :)

[NutLoose]

is this him?

https://www.pressreader.com/uk/daily-mail/20170610/283558040562879

[telsurrey]

Hi NutLoose!
Thanks but I cant open your link! What does it say?

[Wensleydale]

is this him?

https://www.pressreader.com/uk/daily-mail/20170610/283558040562879

Unlikely Nutty. The article is by Ian Weir, a navigator on Shackletons - Beery was a pilot on Shackletons.

[NutLoose]

Then this is..

https://www.thegrowler.org.uk/avroshackleton/history.htm

She carried sonobuoys, both active and passive, to ensnare the sub in a large audio net; Orange Harvest ESM to passively detect radar emissions; Autolycus to detect diesel fumes emitted by a snorting sub and, briefly, Magnetic Anomaly Detection. The latter was never successful and was dropped until the advent of the Nimrod as the Shack's replacement. I have heard it said that it didn't work on the Shack because the Shack itself is a flying magnetic anomaly! ASW was a black art which required constant practice not only to hone individual skills but also to make a crew think and act as one and an important element of training was a periodic visit to the joint anti-submarine school at H.M.S. Sea Eagle in Londonderry, where Shack crews would pit their wits against the Dark Blue, and not just during the exercises: indeed, the battles of wits during the actual exercises were small beer compared with those during the debriefs, when questions were raised not merely of peoples' integrity but even their parents' marital status.

On one memorable occasion, the Late Sqn Ldr Ian Weir's crew were returning in foul weather from a fruitless night sortie. The nav had not had a decent wind in living memory and was temporarily unsure of his position. He asked permission to drop a marker to carry out a WFA - wind finding procedure. It was not his day. Due to finger trouble he dropped an active buoy instead of a marker. Beery Weir thinking that they might as well get some practice out of the debacle instructed his sonics operator to tune the buoy in so they could home to the overhead and drop a marker on it. Much to the crew's astonishment the buoy was indicating a sub in close proximity. They went on to prosecute a successful attack and went home to the bar in high spirits.At the debrief, however, the sub's navigator swore on his mother's grave that they had never been in that position and even if they had been they shouldn't have been and anyway they hadn't been near the surface for days - all the usual submariners' deviousness. They had just reached an impasse when the sub's Captain came to their rescue. Standing up, he announced "Gentlemen. It grieves me to say this, but my navigator is a liar" - stunned silence - "I know he is because when we surfaced I found this in my conning tower" - so saying he produced the tail finds of a SUS (signal underwater sound) - used for simulating attacks on submarines.

[telsurrey]

Unlikely Nutty. The article is by Ian Weir, a navigator on Shackletons - Beery was a pilot on Shackletons.

Hi Wensleydale!

i read one of your posts from way back describing your involvement in scattering Beery’s ashes. You seemed to know him quite well and would know how he died. Perhaps you would like to post some details?

Thanks for your help.

Telsurrey

t