Flight Sergeant James David Walls

Flight Sergeant Walls, The Royal Air Force (V.R.), was born on 5th February 1922, and at Loretto from September 1935 to July 1940. He was in the VI and the Fives Couples, and a Corporal in the J.T.C. After a period of training he served in Bomber Command and took part in raids on Germany for a year from September 1941. For the first six months of his active service he was employed in normal bombing raids, but after that was piloting a single plane carrying out special tasks and bombing special targets. In all he did about thirty operational flights. While in command of his aircraft on the night of 19th-20th September 1942, he failed to return from France, and was later reported as having been shot down over Boulogne.

Lieutenant John Lawrence Stuart Watson

Lieutenant Watson, The Royal Scots, was born on 6th June 1914, and at Loretto from September 1928 to July 1933. He was a Prefect, in the VI Form, XV, Cricket and Hockey XIs, and a Sergeant in the O.T.C. From School he went up to Brazenose College, Oxford, where he won his Rugby Blue, and afterwards studied law at Edinburgh. In September 1939 he joined the Army, and, after passing through an O.C.T.U. at Dunbar, was commissioned into the Royal Scots in April 1940, and promoted Lieutenant six months later. He accompanied his regiment to Cherbourg with the Second Expeditionary Force, and on its return was attached to the Highland Light Infantry, with which he first served as Transport Officer and later, as Acting Captain, trained in different parts of the country with the Mountain Corps. In the autumn of 1944 he went overseas to Holland, and on 29th November of that year, while out on his first patrol at Walcheren, was killed in action.

"He was a brave and efficient young officer, and won the esteem of all ranks by his sportsmanship, soldierly qualities, and fearlessness in doing his duty."

Captain Robert Gordon Weir

Captain Weir, 78th Field Regiment, The Royal Artillery (T.A.), was born on 28th May 1919, and at Loretto from January 1929 to July 1937. He was a House Prefect, in the VI Form, and a Lance-Corporal in the O.T.C. After leaving School he went to Jesus College, Cambridge, where he took his degree. He served with the Eighth Army during the campaign in North Africa, the landing in Sicily, and the invasion of Italy. He was wounded at El Alamein in October 1942, and in April 1943 was taken prisoner in Tunisia, but escaped and rejoined his unit in the following month. On 31st October of the same year he died of acute infantile paralysis at Campo Basso in Italy.

"He never spared himself, and was always ready to go and do whatever job was going - however tired he was. His men would follow him anywhere, and that, I think, is the best epitaph a regimental officer can have. His troop and battery have lost a very faithful servant."