Arthur Aitken
| Arthur Edward Aitken | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1861 Rochford, Essex, England[1] |
| Died | 1924 (aged 72-73) Rome, Italy [2] |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | Worcestershire Regiment 119th Infantry (The Mooltan Regiment) |
| Rank | Major General |
| Commands held | Indian Expeditionary Force |
Major General Arthur Edward Aitken (1861–1924) was a British military commander.
Born in Rochford[1] in Essex, by the time of the 1871 Census he was a 9-year old pupil at a school in Brighton, Sussex.[3]
He began his military career in 1882 as a cavalryman.[4] Following the outbreak of the First World War, Aitken led the first notable incursion into German East Africa at the head of Indian Expeditionary Force B,[4] and was defeated at the Battle of Tanga in early November 1914.[5]
The battle is often known as the "battle of the bees" for the swarms of bees that repeatedly interrupted fighting,[6] with both sides fleeing for cover. Aitken had been overconfident and not attempted any reconnaissance work in the area.
The German defence forces were led by Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck,[5] who never suffered a defeat during the war.
Aitken's troops were routed and retreated.[5] There were delays in publishing the details in Britain.
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b General Register Office index of births registered in April, May, June, 1861 - Name: Aitken, Arthur Edward District: Rochford Volume: 4A Page: 176.
- ^ Death registered at the Consular Office in Rome - Consular Deaths 1921-1924 Volume 15 "Aitken, Arthur E" age 62
- ^ 1871 Census of Brighton, RG10/1087, Folio 92, Page 50, Arthur E Aitken, pupil, 13, 14, 15 Sillwood Place, Brighton.
- ^ a b Paice (2008), p. 40.
- ^ a b c Chappell (2005), p.12.
- ^ Farwell (1989), p. 171.
[edit] References
- Chappell, Mike (2005). The British Army in World War I: The Eastern Fronts. The British Army in World War I, Volume 3. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1841764019.
- Farwell, Byron (1989). The Great War in Africa, 1914–1918. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 0-393-30564-3.
- Paice, Edward (2008). Tip & Run: The Untold Tragedy of the Great War in Africa. London: Phoenix. ISBN 978-0-7538-2349-1.
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