Outside of cricket, Aird served in the Second World War with the Royal Armoured Corps and was decorated with the Military Cross.
[1] During his final two years at Eton in 1920 and 1921, Aird trialled for Hampshire, making his debut in first-class cricket against Warwickshire at Portsmouth.
He gained a blue in 1923, a season in which he made 12 appearances for the university, largely due to his performance against Yorkshire, when he scored 64 against a strong bowling line-up containing George Macaulay, Wilfred Rhodes, Emmott Robinson and Abe Waddington.
[1] He also played first-class cricket for the MCC from 1927 to 1939, making fifteen appearances and scoring 520 runs at an average of exactly 26.
[2] Aird served in the British Army during the Second World War, being commissioned as a lieutenant into the Royal Armoured Corps in August 1939, a day before the outbreak of hostilities.
[9] He exceeded the age limit for liability to recall in August 1952, at which point he ceased to belong to the Reserve of Officers, but was allowed to retain his honorary rank of major.
[1] A year into the post, he gave permission for the BBC to broadcast live coverage of the deciding Test of the 1953 Ashes Series, due to 'enormous public interest' as England sought to win back The Ashes for the first time in 19 years.
Although known as a man who was imperturbable, he gained admiration from his peers during his presidency of the MCC in 1968, when he chaired the heated special general meeting over relations with South Africa in light of the D'Oliveira affair, which led to the cancellation of England's tour of South Africa.
[1] In addition to his administrative roles within the MCC over a sixty-year period, Aird was also an administrator in county cricket; he served as president of Hampshire County Cricket Club between 1971 and 1983, being succeeded by Cecil Paris.