John Aiken (RAF officer)

Sir John Alexander Carlisle Aiken
Sir John Alexander Carlisle Aiken
Born	22 December 1921; Belfast, Northern Ireland
Died	31 May 2005 (aged 83); Westminster, London, England
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Air Force
Years of service	1940–78
Rank	Air Chief Marshal
Commands held	Air Member for Personnel (1976–78); British Forces Cyprus (1973–76); Near East Air Force (1973–76); RAF Finningley (1963–64); No. 29 Squadron RAF (1956–58); Birmingham University Air Squadron (1950–53)
Battles/wars	Second World War; Turkish invasion of Cyprus
Awards	Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath

Air Chief Marshal Sir John Alexander Carlisle Aiken, KCB (22 December 1921 – 31 May 2005) was a senior Royal Air Force (RAF) officer, and the Commander of British forces in Cyprus at the time of the Turkish invasion of the island in 1974.

For others similarly named, see the John Aiken navigation page

RAF career

Educated at Birkenhead School, Aitken joined the Royal Air Force in 1941,[1] serving in the Second World War in North-West Europe, flying Spitfires with No. 611 Squadron from 1942 and in the Far East as a flight commander with No. 548 Squadron flying Spitfires out of Darwin from 1944.[1]

In 1948 he became an instructor at the RAF College Cranwell before becoming Officer Commanding Birmingham University Air Squadron in 1950.[1] He was made Personal Staff Officer to the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at Fighter Command in 1954, Officer Commanding No. 29 Squadron in 1956 and a Staff Officer at Headquarters Allied Forces Northern Europe in 1958.[1] He went on to be Deputy Director, Intelligence (Air) at the Air Ministry in 1960 before being appointed Station Commander at RAF Finningley in 1962.[1] His next series of appointments were as Air Commodore (Intelligence) at the Ministry of Defence in 1964, Deputy Commander-in-Chief at RAF Germany in 1969 and Director-General of RAF Training in 1971.[1] He was appointed as Commander-in-Chief Near East Air Force (including responsibility for British Forces Cyprus and Administration of the Sovereign Base Areas) in 1973.[1] He remained there throughout the period of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, during which time he was responsible for organising the evacuation of several thousand foreign nationals from Nicosia and Limassol.[2] He returned to the UK in 1976 and became Air Member for Personnel.[1] He retired in March 1978. On retirement, he was appointed Director General of Intelligence at the Ministry of Defence from 1978–81. He was President of the Royal Air Forces Association from 1984–85, and 1987–88.[1]

Aiken was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1967, and raised to Knight Commander of the Order in 1973.[1] He died on 31 May 2005, aged 83.

Family

In 1948 he married Pamela Bartlett; they had a son and a daughter.[2]

References

Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Chief Marshal Sir John Aiken
Obituary: Air Chief Marshal Sir John Aiken Daily Telegraph, 4 June 2005

Military offices
Preceded by Sir Derek Hodgkinson	Commander-in-Chief Near East Air Force 1973–1976	Post disbanded
Preceded by Sir Derek Hodgkinson	Commander British Forces Cyprus 1973–1976	Succeeded by Roy Austen-Smith
Preceded by Sir Neil Cameron	Air Member for Personnel 1976–1978	Succeeded by Sir John Gingell
Government offices
Preceded by Sir David Willison	Director-General Intelligence 1978–1981	Succeeded by Sir Roy Halliday

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[air-1] Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Chief Marshal Sir John Aiken

[tele-2] Obituary: Air Chief Marshal Sir John Aiken Daily Telegraph, 4 June 2005