Aidan Crawley facts for kids

Aidan Merivale Crawley (born April 10, 1908 – died November 3, 1993) was a British journalist, television boss, and politician. He was a member of both of Britain's main political groups. These were the Labour Party and the Conservative Party.

He was elected to the House of Commons as a Labour MP from 1945 to 1951. Later, he became a Conservative MP from 1962 to 1967.

Early Life and Education

Aidan Crawley went to Harrow School and Trinity College, Oxford. These are both well-known schools in England. He was also a talented cricket player. He played for both Harrow and for Oxford University Cricket Club.

In 1926, he scored 87 runs in a famous cricket match. This was the Eton v Harrow match at Lord's. A sports book called Wisden said it was one of the best innings in that match for many years. They also called him a "beautiful player."

In 1928, he set a new record for Oxford University. He scored 1,137 runs in one season. The next year, in 1929, he scored 204 runs against Northamptonshire.

A Varied Career

Aidan Crawley had a very interesting life. He played professional cricket and served in the military. He was also a Member of Parliament for two different political parties. Later, he made documentary films and was the first chairman of London Weekend Television.

Cricket Achievements

Crawley started playing first-class cricket in May 1927. This is the highest level of cricket below international matches. He played for Oxford University. He also played for Kent County Cricket Club as an amateur player.

Most of his cricket career was in the late 1920s and early 1930s. He played 87 first-class matches in total. He played 39 times for Oxford and 33 times for Kent. He also played for other teams like Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).

After 1932, he played only a few more matches. Some of these were after World War II, when he was already an MP. He also helped cricket in other ways. He was the president of MCC from 1972-73. He also led the National Cricket Association for seven years. During this time, he helped start the National Village Cricket Championship.

Military Service

In 1936, Aidan Crawley joined the Auxiliary Air Force. He became a trained fighter pilot before the Second World War began. He flew night patrols over the English Channel.

In 1940, he was sent to Turkey. His real job was to do intelligence work in the Balkans. This included countries like Yugoslavia and Bulgaria. When Germany invaded Bulgaria in 1941, he had to leave Sofia secretly.

Later, he was sent to Egypt. In July 1941, his plane was shot down near Tobruk. He was taken as a prisoner of war by the Germans. He was held in Germany, including at Stalag Luft III, and tried to escape several times.

Political Career

Aidan Crawley was a Member of Parliament for the Labour Party. He represented Buckingham from 1945 to 1951. He lost his seat to a Conservative candidate in 1951. He also served as the Under-Secretary of State for Air in the government led by Clement Attlee.

In 1957, he left the Labour Party. In 1962, he was elected to Parliament again. This time, he was a Conservative MP. He won a special election in West Derbyshire. He kept this seat through two more general elections. He resigned in 1967 to become the Chairman of London Weekend Television. He stayed in this role until 1973.

Media Work

In 1955, Aidan Crawley became the first editor-in-chief of Independent Television News (ITN). He brought a new style of news reporting to British television. He introduced newscasters, similar to those in America. He wanted to change how television reported on politicians.

Crawley also wrote several books. These included life stories of important leaders like Konrad Adenauer and Charles De Gaulle.

• De Gaulle: A Biography (1969)
• Escape from Germany 1939-1945
• Spoils of the War: The Rise of Western Germany 1945-1972
• Patterns of Government in Africa
• Leap before you look: a memoir (1988)

Family Life

Aidan Crawley was the second son of Rev. Arthur Stafford Crawley. His mother was Anstice Katherine Gibbs. His family had many connections to important people in British history.

Marriage and Children

In 1945, Aidan Crawley married Virginia Cowles. She was a war correspondent. They had three children together.

Aidan Crawley faced some very sad times in his life. His wife passed away in a car accident in 1983. Five years later, both of his sons died in a plane crash. This left their young children and wives behind. He also lost a lot of money later in his life.

He was survived by his daughter, Harriet. He also had two daughters-in-law and six grandchildren.

• Andrew Hayward Crawley (1947−1988) had one son and a daughter born after his death.
• Randall Stafford Crawley (1950–1988) had two sons and a daughter. His widow, Marita, later remarried.
• Harriet Spencer Crawley (born 1948) is a successful author and former TV presenter. She has one son, Spencer Crawley, who also played first-class cricket for Oxford University Cricket Club.