Ancestry

b. 5 Aug1895, Bickley, Kent

Father: Robert Bruce Aitken, a solicitor (qualified 1885), mother Harriot(t) (Soames, d. 1963 aged 100). They married 12 Jun 1894.

Sister Kathleen Maud, b. 1897

Robert was an RAF 2^nd Lieut 1917-18, and d. 21 Nov 1942 in Llandudno.

In the 1911 Census Robert and Harriot lived in Tunbridge Wells with their 4 servants; Grace, age 15, meanwhile was at boarding school - St Felix School, Clogle House, Reydon, Southwold.

Grace qualified as a masseuse (in Medical Gymnastics and Medical Electricity) and travelled to Quebec in 1926, New Zealand in 1927, and Hawaii and the USA for three weeks in 1928.

Her address by then was Masons Bridge Hall, Salfords, Horley, Surrey (which is near Redhill Aerodrome).

'Flight' Magazine recorded the start of her aviation career in October 1929: "During this week, three new lady members commenced instruction; they were Miss M. M. Noakes and Miss M. J. M. Turner, of Maidstone, and Miss G. E. Aitken, of Horley, Surrey. It is very encouraging to see the increasing interest and enthusiasm with which ladies are taking up flying."

The following year, she gained her Royal Aero Club Certificate No 9123, at the Cinque Ports Flying Club based in Lympne, Kent

She acquired a 1930 DH.60M Moth, G-AAWX, from Sir Piers GJ Mostyn.

For the next couple of years, she was an ever-present face in aviation circles, and 'Flight' recorded her various activities and triumphs:

May 1931: "The chief event of the afternoon was a race for ladies, this was divided into heats with Miss Aitken, Miss Crossley and Miss Amy Johnson in the first, and Miss Burr, Miss Gower, Miss Giles, Mrs. Young, Miss Slade, and Miss Spooner in the second. The winner of the first heat was Miss Amy Johnson, with Miss Aitken second, and of the second heat Miss Burr, followed by Miss Gower.

Amy, Pauline, Dorothy, Gabrielle, Susan, Winifred, and Delia

These four then took part in the final, which was a victory for Miss Aitken, with Miss Gower second, Miss Johnson third, and Miss Burr fourth. Capt. Dancy', that king of handicappers, was once again to be seen, complete with stop watch, red flag, and gum boots, and his work augured well for future races this year. Only a few seconds separated the winners in each heat, although the speeds of the machines varied widely, and the final was a masterpiece of handicapping, only ten seconds covering those racing.

The course was a triangular one around Wokingham Church and Twvford Station, the heats being one and the final two laps, the latter being about 20 miles."

July 1931: "Two of the Club's lady private owners, Miss Aitken and Miss Giles, left for Paris on Thursday in their two Gipsy Moths. It was originally their intention to tour Germany, but the political and financial situation there made this inadvisable."

 Joanna Elder Giles

August 1931: "A remarkably good performance was put up by two of the Club’s lady private owners, Miss Aitken and Miss Giles, who returned on Thursday July 30, from a fortnight’s flying four of France, covering a very big mileage during the period. They expressed themselves very pleased with the courtesy extended to them on all the friendly aerodromes on which they landed, and were particularly impressed by the French Meteorological Service."

September 1931: "In the last week’s report reference was made to Miss Aitken. one of the lady private owner members, and the hope was expressed that she had won the Ladies’ Cup at the St. Hubert Rally; this has proved to be the case, and, in addition, she has won the Challenge Cup, to be held by the Club for 12 months; this is an extremely meritorious performance and the Club offers her its sincere congratulations."

October 1931: "Lt. Com. T. S. B. Gubbins inaugurated his new flying field at Barham, and the informal opening was attended by Miss Aitken in her own aircraft."

November 1931: "On Sunday a party was held to celebrate the arrival of the ‘Coupe Challenge Internationale" - won recently by Miss Grace Aitken, of this club, on the occasion of the Second International Rallye at St. Hubert, Belgium. The cup, which stands ever 2 ft 6 in, high, is of solid silver on a marble plinth, and is held by the Club for a year; a replica is held by the winner.

Miss Aitken was the Club’s first lady ‘A’ licence pilot, and deserves the hearty congratulations of all on her extremely meritorious performance and her successful efforts to uphold the prestige of British amateur aviation on the Continent of Europe. Among those present at the celebrations were Miss J. E. Giles, Miss M. Noaks, Mrs. Hammond Davis, Mrs. H. E. Twaites, Lt. Com. G. S, B. Gubbins, Messrs, Drake, Marriage, Searle, Waller, Morris and Twaites, and other members and friends. The cups referred to were collected by aeroplane from the town of St. Hubert on the 18th ult. by Miss Aitken in person."

May 1932: "Several club members went over to the Antwerp meeting, including the Misses Aitken and Giles and Messrs. Trewlawny, Waller and Gubbins."

August 1932, the "GOSSIP FROM GATWICK" was that "The feminine element was well to the fore during the last week. Miss Aitken did her first taxi trip, when she conveyed Miss Sewell to Heston to collect her machine, in which she put up such a very good show when she flew it out solo to Transjordania."

September 1932: "A WOMEN'S FLYING MEETING

The Womens Engineering Society, who at the suggestion of Lady Bailey have formed an aviation section, held an air meeting in connection with their Tenth Annual Conference at Atlantic Park, Eastleigh, near Southampton, on Sunday, September I5. Owing to a very regrettable streak of misplaced Puritanism on the part of the municipal authorities, the organisers were not allowed to bring the general public into the meeting, except free of charge, with the result that they had to content themselves to a small but select party of invited guests.

Atlantic Park is quite an excellent aerodrome, and we hear rumours that it may shortly be the home of one of the well-known South Coast flying clubs. The hangars are still in reasonably good repair and bear romantic evidence, in the shape of notices in many languages, of the days when the shipping companies had perforce to use it as a dumping camp for the crowds of European emigrants who fled their own countries after the war to seek fortunes in the USA. (who knows but what it may have sheltered Scarface Al or others of his ilk!). Visitors by air had, we gathered a very sticky trip, as the clouds were down on the hills in most parts of the country and this kept the numbers of aircraft very low, but those who came by road fared better for despite rain which made things unpleasant they had no difficulty in finding the way ; AA notices at every corner led them straight to the aerodrome. — Mr. Ivor McClure, who has made the aviation department of the A. A. what it is, surely deserves recognition as one of aviation's benefactors.

The Dowager Lady Swaythling opened the meeting and the women who had flown down were presented to her. These included Miss Aitken Mrs. Victor Bruce, Mrs, Chalmers, Miss Spicer, and Lady Bailey. Mrs. Shelmerdine, who had nobly come all the way from London by road, Mrs, Mollison, who arrived somewhat later in her special 'Moth' and last, but not least Miss Mollie Ofley, of the Northamptonshire Aero Club, to whom had been entrusted the organisation of the dying programme of the meeting."

In September 1932, there was a "LADIES’ PARTY AT SYWELL

On Sunday, September 25, the ladies of the Northamptonshire Aero Club held the second of their annual flying meetings. This year the meeting, once more ably organised by Miss Mollie Ofley, was more in the nature of a garden party, the general public not therefore being invited. Some dozen visiting machines arrived at the aerodrome during the afternoon, quite a large proportion of which were flown by lady pilots. Unfortunately, other meetings in the country clashed with this gathering, thereby lessening the number of visitors. Last year the handsome cup presented by Mr. Lee Champion, was won by Miss 'Susan' Slade in a race which, it will be remembered, was distinctive for its somewhat exciting(!) finish. This year however, the idea of a race was abandoned and a competition substituted. The cup, it was decided should still be presented to the winner and therefore Miss Slade had perforce to fly up from Cornwall w ith this 'utensil' which she managed to do despite the execrable weather. Miss Slade told us that she explored every valley in Somerset in an endeavour to get north from Cornwall on the first day of her attempt before returning to a field belonging to some friends in Taunton. On the second day she was more lucky, and by avoiding the hills she was able to get through.

The competition took the form of a test of the pilot's ability to fly accurately by compass without the aid of a map. All entrants were given maps. but these were sealed and the breaking of the seal entailed disqualification. Four bearings and distances were given with landmarks, which had to be noted at each comer, observers being stationed at these marks. As a precaution against the eventuality of several competitors getting round the course correctly they had, on their return to the aerodrome to land, finishing their landing run with their wheels as near to a line of flags as possible. Points being deducted according to the distance they were from these flags.

The entrants included Miss Susan Slade, Lady Bailey, Miss Giles, Miss Muntz and Miss Aitken.

A scientific scheme of marking was evolved by several of the enthusiastic male members of the club, and the result of their labours was to award Lady Bailey 66.25, Miss Giles 63.5, Miss Slade 62,5, and Miss Muntz 61.25. Unfortunately, Miss Aitken decided that if she continued looking for the landing marks any longer she would be in danger of losing her tea, and she therefore opened her maps, which, of course, entailed her disqualification."

And then her flying career seems to have ended. She sold the Moth to Robert Christian 'Bob' Ramsay ...

... and in 1933, she married Kenneth Minshull Robathan (1 Sep 1889 – 2 Feb 1965) who was an English first-class cricketer, British Indian Army officer and clergyman, and held ecclesiastical appointments at Dethick, Lea and Holloway in Derbyshire, Lee-on-Solent in Hampshire, and Potterne in Wiltshire. He  died in February 1965 at Ringwood, Hampshire.

They had 2(?) children.

Grace was still practising as a masseuse in Matlock, Derbyshire, in 1946.

She died 14 Feb 1979 giving her address as Camel Cross Motors, West Camel, Yeovil Somerset, leaving £78,183