Colchester veteran shares his father's heroic story of both World Wars

John Robert Keith Aitken, who was stationed in Colchester between September 1969 to 1973, has told the tale of his dad's heroism to commemorate the 105th anniversary of the end of the First World War.

John, who served in the RCT in Germany and was sent abroad to Singapore, Malaysia, Cyprus, and Northern Ireland, wants to share the story of his “true hero” so others remember the sacrifices soldiers made in the past for us today.

Born in 1890 in Woolwich, London, John's dad, John Herbert Aitken, joined the British army in 1908 for "three meals a day and money”.

Service - John Herbert Aitken's WW1 and WW2 medals (Image: Public)
Stationed in India before going to the Western front, John served in three front-line regiments – Second Yorkshire, North, and South Staffordshire – throughout the duration of what was then commonly called the “The Great War”. 

According to his son, also John, each time his father was wounded in battle he would join a different regiment and receive a different army number.

His dad was there on the first day of the Battle of Somme, July, 1, 1916, which was the bloodiest day in the British Army’s entire history with around 19,240 fatalities.

Private Aitken also served in the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917, which became infamous for its mud caused by heavy rains which drowned pack-mules, horses, and men.

He would also, among others, bravely go out on duties at night in No Mans land.

At 49-years-old, while working at the West India Docks in London, John Aitken decided to re-join the army - having told them he was ten years younger - to serve in the Second World War.

He re-joined the British Expeditionary Force and due to his age served in the new Pioneer Corps.

Hero - John Herbert Aitken 1890 - 1965 (Image: John Robert Keith Aitken)

Like the BEF’s rear-guard action in the Battle of Mons in 1914, in which he was awarded the Mons Star, John also took part in the rear-guard action in the ten-day Battle of Dunkirk in 1940.

While the British main infantry was evacuated off the beaches, John was captured with thousands of others, to march or be sent by train, across Europe.

Private Aitken was sent to Stalag VIII-B in Poland which was the biggest prisoner of war camp in Europe, being put down to work in coal and salt mines.

Later in around 1944 to 1945, John was sent on a death march back to Germany due to the approach of the Russians before being hit on the head by a German guard - but John never fell to the ground.

Proud - Son John Robert Keith Aitken (Image: John Aitken)

John died in September 1965, aged 75.

His son John, who still lives in Colchester, believes he could be one of the few living people to have had a parent fight in both world wars.

He added: “I'm very proud to say I'm an ex-army veteran from Colchester but a prouder son of an army veteran that served in both our world wars for the freedom we must never take for granted.