RNZAF Biographies of Deceased Personnel: 1939 - 1945, Ab - Bl

2.

On the 28th December, 1944 he was posted to the famous No. 75 (N.Z.) Squadron located at Mepal. On the 1st January, 1945 he took off on his first flight with this Squadron acting as second pilot to Wing Commander R. J. Newton who was the only other New Zealander of the crew. The aircraft was engaged on a bombing mission over Vohwinkel near Wuppertal, Germany and did not return to base and all the crew including Pilot Officer Aitchison were classified as missing. In due course his death was officialy presumed to have occurred on the 1st January, 1945.

A post war casualty search revealed that the aircraft crashed at Vilt, on the North side of the road from Berg to Valkenburg all the crew losing their lives. No trace was found of Pilot Officer Aitchison or the other members of the crew and their names are to be recorded on a suitable memorial to the missing.

5/3/4540 AS2		Mrs O. Aitchison (W)
458 hours as Pilot		Carruth Road,
		Papatoetoe, AUCKLAND

MR/NF

413006	:	Sgt. Colin Campbell AITKEN.
PARENTS	:	Mr. & Mrs. C. C. Aitken, Gisborne.

Colin Aitken was born on January 12, 1922 at Greenock in Scotland and came to New Zealand at an early age,

He was educated at Mangapapa school and Gisborne High School, where he gained his University Entrance in 1937 and his Higher Leaving Certificate in 1938. He represented the latter school in the 1st XI at both cricket and hockey. He was a keen and popular sportsman and in 1940 was a member of the Poverty Bay senior representative cricket team. After leaving school he was employed on clerical duties by the Government Life Insurance Office at Gisborne, a position he held until he entered the Air Force. Sgt Aitken applied for training as a pilot in September 1940 and was enlisted at the Initial Training Wing, Levin on May 24, 1941. He completed his initial training early in July and went on to No. 3 Elementary Flying Training School, Harewood, where he made his first solo flight on Tiger Moth aircraft on July 17. He then proceeded to Canada and commenced flying on Yale and Harvard aircraft at No. 6 Service Flying Training School, Dunnville, Ontario, at the beginning of October, 1941.

He was awarded the flying badge at Dunnville on December 31, 1941 and was promoted to the rank of Sergeant on January 2, 1942. He proceeded to England shortly afterwards and in April was posted to No. 17 Advanced Flying Unit at Watton in Norfolk for training on Miles Master aircraft. The following month he went on to No. 57 (Fighter) Operational Training Unit at Hawarden near Chester, where he trained on Masters and Spitfires until the end of June, when he was posted to No. 243 (Fighter) Squadron at Ouston, near Newcastle - upon - Tyne, for flying duties on Spitfire VB fighters.

In September Sgt. Aitken moved with 243 Squadron to Turnhouse in Scotland, where he remained for a month before proceeding overseas to Gibraltar in November. He was engaged on patrol duties over the Straits of Gibraltar and the French North African Coast until the end of December when the Squadron was transferred to Bône in Algeria, from which Sgt. Aitken carried out a number of operational flights against the Axis forces in Tunisia.

These included the strafing of gun posts in the Bizerte area, shooting up German road convoys, naval escort duties and providing top cover for Hurri-bombers. As the enemy retreated, No. 243 Squadron moved forward into Tunisia and late in January 1943, commenced operations from an aerodrome at Souk-el-Arba. On February 8, Sgt. Aitken made a forced landing in desolate country when the engine of his Spitfire failed about 20 miles from his base. He had to walk back to his airfield after sleeping the night in the hills. Soon afterwards the Squadron moved once more, this time to Soul-el-Khemis.

On March 1, 1943 Sgt. Aitken was engaged in a dogfight with German fighter aircraft over his home aerodrome, when he was shot down and killed. The following is an extract from a letter from his Commanding Officer to his father -

"Shorty" as he was known in the Squadron, was a popular and well liked member of this Squadron and his loss is keenly felt by all ranks. He showed outstanding ability as a pilot and his keenness and efficiency contributed towards our high flying record."

Sgt Aitken is buried at Souk-el-Khemis in Tunisia.

5/2/6506 A.S.2.		Mr. C. C. Aitken, (F)
320 hrs. as pilot.		478 Ormond Road,
		GISBORNE.

JN/NF

39075	:	Pilot Officer John Milford AITKEN.
PARENTS	:	Mr. & Mrs. J. B. Aitken of Christchurch.

John Aitken was born at Thornbury on the 24th March, 1916. He received his secondary education at Southland Technical College where he took the electrical engineering course. He was interested in flying and aircraft and enrolled as a student member of the New Zealand Aircraft Club and studied their course. His physical activities were football and mountaineering. His civilian occupation was that of mechanic with a Christchurch taxi firm. In September, 1935 he applied for ground service in the R.N.Z.A.F., but was unsuccessful at the time and he accordingly repeated his application in May, 1939. This time he was accepted and he was enlisted at R.N.Z.A.F. Station, Ohakea, on the 20th September, 1939. On the 20th October, 1939, he was posted to R.N.Z.A.F. Station, Wigram. In May, 1940 he applied for service as aircrew and followed this up with further applications until he was accepted for aircrew training.

Pilot Officer Aitken was posted to the Initial Training Wing, Rotorua on the 2nd May, 1942. On the 13th June he ws posted to No. 3 Elementary Flying Training School, Harewood for elementary flying training on the 5th September he proceeded to No. 1 Service Flying Training School, Wigram, where, on the 30th November, 1942, he was awarded his flying badge. On the 6th February,1943, he was promoted from LAC to Sergeant. He was promoted to Flight Sergeant on the 6th August, 1943 and was commissioned in the rank of Pilot Officer on the 7th February, 1944. Meanwhile on the 9th March, 1943, P/O Aitken had embarked for the United Kingdom.

P/O Aitken arrived at No. 11 Personnel Despatch and Receiving Centre, Brighton, on the 12th April, 1943, and on the 22nd May was posted for a course at No. 26 Elementary Flying Training School, Theale, Berkshire. On the 15th June he was posted to No. 20 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit, Weston-on-the-Green, Oxfordshire. He proceeded on the 30th August to No. 28 Operational Training Unit, Wymeswold, Leicestershire, where he crewed up and completed his training on Wellington bomber

J. M. AITKEN

2.

aircraft. On the 20th December, 1943, he was posted to No. 1654 Conversion Unit, Wigsley, Nottinghamshire, for converting to Stirling bomber aircraft and on the 12th February, 1944, he proceeded to No. 5 Lancaster Finishing School, Syerston, Nottinghamshire where he reconverted to Lancaster heavy bombers. He was posted to No. 619 Squadron, Coningsby, Lincolnshire on the 11th March, 1944. From Coningsby and from Dunholme Lodge, Lincolnshire, the station to which the squadron subsequently moved, P/O Aitken took part in 16 operational flights, his targets including Frankfurt (2), Berlin, Essen, Nurnburg, Aachen, Brunswick, and Munich, all in Germany; Tours, Paris (3), Toulouse, Mailly-le-Camp and Salbris, in France and Oslo in Norway.

P/O Aitken was pilot of a Lancaster bomber which took off on the night of the 9/10th May, 1944, to attack Gemmevillier, near Paris and failed to return to its base and all the members of the crew, including P/O Aitken were classified as missing. In due course his death was officially presumed to have occurred on the 10th May, 1944. Information was subsequently received that P/O Aitken had been buried at Aubergenville, 6½ miles south east of Nantes, France.

4/2/1074 AS2		Mrs. U. Aitken (M)
620 hrs. as pilot.		6 Brandon St.
		Riccarton, CHRISTCHURCH