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John Aiken
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about the Royal Air Force officer. For the ice hockey player see John Aiken on the List of NHL one gamers.
Air Chief Marshal Sir John Alexander Carlisle Aiken KCB (22 December 1921 – 31 May 2005) was Commander of British forces in Cyprus at the time of the Turkish invasion of the island in 1974.
Aiken was educated at Birkenhead School and joined the Royal Air Force in 1941, serving in North-West Europe, flying Spitfires with 611 Squadron RAF during 1942–43, and in the Far East as a flight commander of 548 Squadron flying Spitfires based in Darwin. In 1948 he became an instructor at RAF Cranwell, later serving on the staff of RAF Fighter Command. He was station commander of RAF Finningley from 1962–63. He was in the Air Ministry before eventually being promoted to Air Commodore (Intelligence) at the MoD. In 1971 he became Director of Training in the RAF, before going to Cyprus as Commander British Forces in 1973. He remained there throughout the period of the invasion by Turkey, during which time he was responsible for organising the evacuation of several thousand foreign nationals from Nicosia and Limassol. He returned to the UK in 1976 and became Air Member for Personnel. On retirement, he was appointed Director General of Intelligence at the Ministry of Defence from 1978–1981. He was President of the Royal Air Force Association from 1984–85.
Aiken was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1967, and was knighted (KCB) in 1973.