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Wartime Heritage
ASSOCIATION
Remembering World War II
John Rankin Aitken
Name:
John Rankin Aitken
Rank:
Sergeant (Pilot)
Service Number:
528206
Service:
34 Squadron, RAF
Place of Birth:
Scotland
Year of Birth:
1919
Date of Death:
Unknown
John Aitken was awarded the British Empire Medal (Military Division), [BEM (M)], for Brave Conduct by King
George VI in 1942 (Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood, St. James’s Palace, London):
Sergeant Pilot John Aitken piloted a Hawker Hurricane IIC fighter with 34 Royal Air Force Squadron in 1944, based at
Palel, located south of Imphal, India between November 1, 1943 and April 10, 1944. The Squadron converted to the
light ground attack role from November 1943, when it began to receive single-seat Hawker Hurricane fighter-
bombers.
The source from Page 5 of the book “They Shall Not Grow Old” by Les Allison, states:
News clip relating to the 1942 award of the British Empire Medal.
528206 Corporal John Rankin Aitken, Royal Air Force,
652901 Corporal Robert Christopher Mason, Royal Air Force,
1063929 Corporal Richard O'Brien, Royal Air Force.
These airmen, who are employed on bomb disposal duties, have displayed courage
and devotion to duty of a high standard. During the past five months their aerodrome
in Malta has been subjected to intense and almost continuous enemy air attacks and
a very large number of delayed action bombs have been dropped. They have been
called upon, both by day and night, to carry out their duties in the face of many
dangers and flying operations have never been held up. Corporals Aitken, Mason and
O'Brien have displayed great devotion to duty and complete disregard for their own
safety. They have saved many aircraft from destruction and have set an example of
the highest order.
Awarded August 11, 1942; in the London Gazette 35667 dated Aug 14, 1942)
“AITKEN, JOHN R. Sgt(P) 528206 - RAF from Antigonish, Nova Scotia. KIA [Killed in
Action] Jan. 16/44 age 26. #34 Sqdn (Lupus Volt Lupus Volat). Hurricane aircraft lost
during operations. Sergeant Pilot Aitken is buried in Burma. [normally the specific
cemetery is listed in Allison’s book but for Aitken he simply wrote ‘buried in Burma’.]
Squadron Leader J A Bushbridge the Commanding Officer of No. 34 Squadron RAF briefs
his pilots at Palel Burma before taking off on another sortie
