Sir Max Aitken, 2nd Baronet
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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.
He served as a Bristol Blenheim and then a Hawker Hurricane pilot with No 601 Squadron 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 68 Squadron, a night fighter unit, from February 1941 until January 1943, claiming four night victories.
Serving in the Middle East during the middle war years, although he was officially non-operational, he managed to shoot down two Junkers Ju 52 aircraft while flying with No. 46 Squadron in Beaufighters.
Aitken became Wing Leader of the Banff Strike Wing 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.
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, 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.
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 his 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.
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| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir Robert Inigo Tasker |
Member of Parliament for Holborn 1945–1950 |
Succeeded by (constituency abolished) |
| Peerage of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by Max Aitken |
Baron Beaverbrook (Disclaimed) 9 June 1964–12 June 1964 |
Succeeded by Max Aitken |
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