Russell Faulkner Aitken | |
|---|---|
&sq=Envato&lang=en&file=File:RF_Aitken_with_pilots_of_No_3_Squadron,_1941.jpg) Aitken, centre, discusses aerial combat with a group of pilots of No. 3 Squadron, 1941 | |
| Nickname(s) | Digger |
| Born | 15 September 1913 Outram, New Zealand |
| Died | 25 February 1989 (aged 75) Kenepuru Hospital, Wellington, New Zealand |
| Buried | Porirua Cemetery, Wellington, New Zealand |
| Allegiance | New Zealand |
| Service/ | Royal Air Force (1937–1957) |
| Rank | Group Captain |
| Commands held | RAF Bradwell Bay RAF Hawkinge No. 3 Squadron |
| Battles/wars | Second World War |
| Awards | Commander of the Order of the British Empire Air Force Cross Mention in despatches (three) |
Group Captain Russell Faulkner Aitken CBE, AFC (15 September 1913 – 25 February 1989) was a New Zealand-born officer who served in the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War. He pioneered the use of amphibious aircraft for rescuing RAF pilots who had been shot down over the English Channel and the North Sea.
Born in Outram, in New Zealand, Aitken joined the RAF in 1937. He was initially posted to the Fleet Air Arm as an instructor, but also helped with development of weaponry and the introduction into service of the Blackburn Skua dive bomber/fighter. After briefly being involved in the Norwegian campaign, he was serving at RAF Gosport when he began using a Supermarine Walrus, an amphibian aircraft, to rescue pilots who bailed out or ditched into the English Channel during the Battle of Britain. He later commanded a night fighter squadron and organised intruder missions into occupied France. In September 1942, he was appointed commander at RAF Hawkinge, the youngest man in the RAF to be in charge of a station. He later commanded the RAF station at Bradwell Bay. By the end of the war, he had been made an officer in the Order of the British Empire, awarded the Air Force Cross, and mentioned in despatches three times. He continued to serve in the RAF during the postwar period, retiring in 1957. He spent his later years in New Zealand, where he died at the age of 75.