John Aldam Aizlewood

Major-General John Aldam Aizlewood, (4 January 1895 – 27 September 1990) was a senior British Army officer who served in the First and Second World Wars.

Military career John Aldan Aizlewood was commissioned into the 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards on 12 August 1914. He served in the First World War on the Western Front and was awarded the Military Cross (MC) and Bar while serving with the Machine Gun Corps.

The Bar to his MC, awarded in June, reads:

After the war, Aizlewood became a brigade major in India in 1927 He was promoted colonel 1 August 1939 with seniority 25 May that year.

Aizlewood also served in the Second World War, initially becoming commander of the 3rd (Meerut) Cavalry Brigade in 1939. In August 1941 as part of Paiforce (formerly Iraqforce), Brigadier Aizlewood commanded Hazelforce and the 2nd Indian Armoured Brigade Group during the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Persia. He moved on to be commander of the 30th Armoured Brigade in August 1942 and then took responsibility for completing the conversion of the 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Division into a mechanised unit as the 42nd Armoured Division in December 1942.

Returning to the United Kingdom, Aizlewood was appointed commander of Essex and Suffolk District in late 1943 and acting General Officer Commanding-in-Chief for Eastern Command in 1944 while Sir Alan Cunningham was away: he retired 9 May 1945 as an honorary major general.

In retirement he was Colonel of the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards from 1948 to 1958.