Mearns Kirk

George Thomson passed away shortly before his 100th birthday.

Being shot down over Germany at the age of 20, and surviving, was a critically  formative period in George Thomson’s life. As the navigator of a Lancaster  Bomber, George had already completed two years of service in the RAF and 18  missions to Germany before being shot down, subsequently captured, and imprisoned as a POW until the end of the war.

The return to ‘civvy life’ after the war did not break the contact and colleagues  that George had with the RAF and he continued to attend reunions and events  throughout his life.

Recently this culminated in his being invited to the dedication of the new colours  of 602 Glasgow Squadron, where George met up with a few of the remaining  colleagues from that era. 

Prior to joining the RAF George had joined the Union Bank as a trainee and  completed two years there before joining the RAF. After the war he 10/01/1924 -  10/11/2023 returned to the Union Bank, eventually becoming the Inspector of Branches.

In 1955 the Union Bank merged with the Bank of Scotland and George moved  into Branch Management, advancing in more senior roles until he ended up as  Assistant General Manager based at the Glasgow Chief Office.

For three years George was President of the Institute of Bankers in Scotland.

George retired from the Bank of Scotland in 1986, but remained involved in many  other Glasgow companies and organisations including the Trades House and  Merchants House.

George married ‘Rene’ Williams in 1961, initially setting up home, first in Old  Kilpatrick, then in Helensburgh.

Another key area of his life was the Church of Scotland, and he became an Elder  at St. Columba’s Church in Helensburgh. His roles within the wider Church of  Scotland became more significant as his talents and business acumen were  recognised, with him eventually joining the Council and becoming Convenor of the Board of Budget and Allocation. He also served as Chairman of the Scottish  Churches Committee.

Being a Life Member of the National Trust for Scotland, and with an interest in St.  Kilda, led him to joining and then leading work parties on St. Kilda. This led to  a bond with other exSt. Kilda working parties and through the St. Kilda Club  of the NTS, with George eventually becoming their President for many years.

George sadly lost his wife Rene through cancer but eventually remarried, this  time to Margaret Campbell who he had known for many years, and they  continued to live in Helensburgh.

Unfortunately, Margaret was also to die from cancer, and George moved from  Helensburgh to Newton Mearns where he continued an active life, until mobility  and health issues required a move into a local Care Home for the final years of  life. Right to the end he remained mentally alert!