Thomas Edmund Aitken

This story and photos are shared by the Trust with kind permission from Mavis Williams, Researcher and Marc Dyos, author of From the Shores of The Moray Firth 84 Field Company Royal Engineers 1944 - 1945

Thomas (Tommy) Edmund Aitken was born in Bishop Aukland on 29 June 1924, the eldest son of Fred & Margaret Aitken (née Bollom), who had married in the September quarter of 1922. His father had served in the First World War with the 1/5th Welsh Regiment and then the Royal Engineers. He was discharged on the 12th November 1919.

We do not know any information on Thomas Edmund Aitken’s childhood or teen years but according to the 1939 Register the family, comprising Fred and Margaret and their six children, were living at 5 Atherton Terrace, Bishop Aukland.

Tommy Aitken enlisted in the Royal Engineers on the 5th November 1942 in Darlington. He served in 84 Field Comapny which was based up in Scotland in 1944 in the area between Inverness and Lossiemouth in as it prepared for the invasion. In april 1944 the unit was relocated to Waterlooville in Hampshire as the Allied forces gathered for final preparations for D-Day. 84 Field Company as to be part of 101 Beach Sub-area, 5 Beach Group for the invasion and at the end of May they moved to their marshalling area.

Sapper Reginald Sparkes, who served in 84 Field Company talked about his time serving with him. In the run up to D-Day, Sapper Sparkes was stationed near Southampton. There he remembers taking a train to Portsmouth with Sapper Tommy Aitken to rendezvous with Tommy’s brother who was serving in the navy there.

They embarked on thier various landing craft on 3rd June which remained at achour until the 5th June when the convoy set sail for the Normandy coast. It was at this point 84 Field Company found out their landing point, Sword Beach between Lion-sur-Mer and La Breche.

The 84 Field Company D-Day Roll shows that Reginald Sparkes landed with his friends Sapper Newsome, Sapper Bowness, Sapper George Franklin and Sapper Tommy Aitken. A sniper was to shoot  Tommy Aitken on the beach as he walked between George Franklin and someone he calls Sapper Jack. Reginald Sparkes has been back to Normandy many times, wanting to see the resting place of Sapper Tommy Aitken and Sapper Bagshaw.

British Normandy Memorial - Additional Information

If you are related to Tommy Aitken or know where we can find a photo of him we would love to hear from you so we can add to his story.