Sir Max Aitken, 2nd Baronet
Encyclopedia
Sir John William Maxwell "Max" Aitken, 2nd Baronet, DSO
, DFC (15 February 1910 – 30 April 1985), formerly 2nd Baron Beaverbrook, was a British
Conservative
politician and press baron, the son of Max Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook
.
Born in Montreal
, Aitken was educated at Westminster School
and Pembroke College, Cambridge
. A talented sportsman, he was a University blue at Soccer and a scratch golfer. A keen flyer, he spent some time in the thirties flying throughout Europe and the USA. He joined the Royal Auxiliary Air Force
in 1935.
and then a Hawker Hurricane
pilot with No. 601 Squadron RAF
during the early part of World War II
, becoming CO in June 1940, earning the Distinguished Service Order
and Distinguished Flying Cross, for eight combat claims. Leaving the Squadron on 20 July 1940, he then served as CO of No. 68 Squadron RAF
, a night fighter unit, from February 1941 until January 1943, claiming four night victories.
Serving in the Middle East during the middle war years as Wing Commander
, although he was officially non-operational, he managed to shoot down two Junkers Ju 52
aircraft while flying with No. 46 Squadron RAF
in Beaufighter
s.
Aitken became Wing Leader of the Banff Strike Wing (RAF Coastal Command
) in 1944. He reached the rank of Group Captain
, achieving 14 and one shared aircraft claimed shot down. He did some of his early flying training with Richard Hillary
, to whom he was known as Bill, and featured in his book The Last Enemy.
At the 1945 general election
, Aitken was elected Member of Parliament
for Holborn
with a majority of just 925. Unfavourable boundary changes meant that the Labour Party
took the successor seat in 1950 comfortably and Aitken did not stand at that or subsequent elections.
He also served as Chancellor
of the University of New Brunswick
.
He appears in the famous World War II documentary The World at War giving a variety of interviews, including the episode "Alone in Britain."
Together with John Coote they formulated the rules that saw the birth of the Cowes Torquay Offshore Powerboat Race, with the aim of improving the breed of sea going fast cruisers and safety at sea.
The Cowes Torquay will celebrate in 2010 the 50th year since Aitken founded it.
He succeeded his father as Baron Beaverbrook on the latter's death on 9 June 1964, but disclaimed the title three days later on 12 June, stating that he wished there to be only one Lord Beaverbrook in his lifetime. On his death in 1985, his son, also Max Aitken
, took on the title.
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, DFC (15 February 1910 – 30 April 1985), formerly 2nd Baron Beaverbrook, was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician and press baron, the son of Max Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook
Max Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook
William Maxwell "Max" Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook, Bt, PC, was a Canadian-British business tycoon, politician, and writer.-Early career in Canada:...
.
Born in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Aitken was educated at Westminster School
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
and Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college has over seven hundred students and fellows, and is the third oldest college of the university. Physically, it is one of the university's larger colleges, with buildings from almost every century since its...
. A talented sportsman, he was a University blue at Soccer and a scratch golfer. A keen flyer, he spent some time in the thirties flying throughout Europe and the USA. He joined the Royal Auxiliary Air Force
Royal Auxiliary Air Force
The Royal Auxiliary Air Force , originally the Auxiliary Air Force , is the voluntary active duty reserve element of the Royal Air Force, providing a primary reinforcement capability for the regular service...
in 1935.
Military service
Aitken served as a Bristol BlenheimBristol Blenheim
The Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. It was adapted as an interim long-range and night fighter, pending the availability of the Beaufighter...
and then a Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
pilot with No. 601 Squadron RAF
No. 601 Squadron RAF
No. 601 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, based in London. The squadron battle honours most notably include the Battle of Britain and the first Americans to fly in World War II were members of this squadron.-History:...
during the early part of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, becoming CO in June 1940, earning the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
and Distinguished Flying Cross, for eight combat claims. Leaving the Squadron on 20 July 1940, he then served as CO of No. 68 Squadron RAF
No. 68 Squadron RAF
The name No. 68 Squadron has been used by the Royal Air Force for two quite different units.No. 2 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps was formed at Heliopolis, Egypt in 1916. For a while it was known to the British military as "No. 68 Squadron RFC" - according to some accounts in order to avoid...
, a night fighter unit, from February 1941 until January 1943, claiming four night victories.
Serving in the Middle East during the middle war years as Wing Commander
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
, although he was officially non-operational, he managed to shoot down two Junkers Ju 52
Junkers Ju 52
The Junkers Ju 52 was a German transport aircraft manufactured from 1932 to 1945. It saw both civilian and military service during the 1930s and 1940s. In a civilian role, it flew with over 12 air carriers including Swissair and Deutsche Luft Hansa as an airliner and freight hauler...
aircraft while flying with No. 46 Squadron RAF
No. 46 Squadron RAF
No. 46 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Air Force, formed in 1916, was disbanded and re-formed three times before its last disbandment in 1975. It served in both World War I and World War II.- World War I :...
in Beaufighter
Bristol Beaufighter
The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter, often referred to as simply the Beau, was a British long-range heavy fighter modification of the Bristol Aeroplane Company's earlier Beaufort torpedo bomber design...
s.
Aitken became Wing Leader of the Banff Strike Wing (RAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force . Founded in 1936, it was the RAF's premier maritime arm, after the Royal Navy's secondment of the Fleet Air Arm in 1937. Naval aviation was neglected in the inter-war period, 1919–1939, and as a consequence the service did not receive...
) in 1944. He reached the rank of Group Captain
Group Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...
, achieving 14 and one shared aircraft claimed shot down. He did some of his early flying training with Richard Hillary
Richard Hillary
Flight Lieutenant Richard Hope Hillary was a Battle of Britain pilot who died during World War II...
, to whom he was known as Bill, and featured in his book The Last Enemy.
Post-war career
In 1946, he entered the family newspaper business, as a director of the Express Group, and would become Chairman of Beaverbrook Newspapers Ltd.At the 1945 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1945
The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...
, Aitken was elected Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Holborn
Holborn (UK Parliament constituency)
Holborn was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Holborn district of Central London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
with a majority of just 925. Unfavourable boundary changes meant that the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
took the successor seat in 1950 comfortably and Aitken did not stand at that or subsequent elections.
He also served as Chancellor
Chancellor (education)
A chancellor or vice-chancellor is the chief executive of a university. Other titles are sometimes used, such as president or rector....
of the University of New Brunswick
University of New Brunswick
The University of New Brunswick is a Canadian university located in the province of New Brunswick. UNB is the oldest English language university in Canada and among the first public universities in North America. The university has two main campuses: the original campus founded in 1785 in...
.
He appears in the famous World War II documentary The World at War giving a variety of interviews, including the episode "Alone in Britain."
Offshore powerboat racing
In the late 1950s, Aitken witnessed one of the early Miami Nassau Offshore Powerboat Races, then participated in the following year with his wife Lady Violet. It was the experience of this new “sport” that led to his announcement at the 1961 London Boat Show of a similar ocean race to be staged in the south of England in August that year.Together with John Coote they formulated the rules that saw the birth of the Cowes Torquay Offshore Powerboat Race, with the aim of improving the breed of sea going fast cruisers and safety at sea.
The Cowes Torquay will celebrate in 2010 the 50th year since Aitken founded it.
London International Boat Show
Aitken, with the sponsorship of his newspaper the Daily Express, helped to found the London International Boat Show in 1954 at the Empire Hall, Olympia.Family life
Aitken married three times:- 1) Cynthia Monteith (1939–1944) (divorced)
- 2) Ursula Kenyon-Slaney (1946–1950) (divorced); two daughters (Kirsty and Lynda)
- 3) Violet de Trafford (1951–30 April 1985); a son and a daughter (Maxwell and Laura)
He succeeded his father as Baron Beaverbrook on the latter's death on 9 June 1964, but disclaimed the title three days later on 12 June, stating that he wished there to be only one Lord Beaverbrook in his lifetime. On his death in 1985, his son, also Max Aitken
Maxwell Aitken, 3rd Baron Beaverbrook
Maxwell William Humphrey Aitken, 3rd Baron Beaverbrook, is a British peer, baronet and politician.Aitken is the grandson of the 1st Baron Beaverbrook and the only son of Sir Max Aitken, by his third marriage to Violet de Trafford....
, took on the title.