John Aiken

Air Chief Marshal Sir John Alexander Carlisle Aiken, (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.

RAF career Educated at Birkenhead School, Aitken joined the Royal Air Force in 1941, 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. He returned to the UK in 1976 and became Air Member for Personnel. He retired in March 1978. On retirement, he was appointed Director General of Intelligence at the Ministry of Defence from 1978 to 1981. He was President of the Royal Air Forces Association from 1984 to 1985, and 1987–88.

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

Family In 1948 he married Pamela Bartlett; they had a son and a daughter.