Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Neil Ritchie
General Sir Neil Methuen Ritchie, GBE, KCB, DSO, MC, KStJ (29 July 1897 – 11 December 1983) was a British Army officer who served in the First and Second World Wars. During the Second World War he commanded the British Eighth Army in the North African campaign from November 1941 until he was dismissed in June 1942 after a disastrous defeat in the Battle of Gazala.
A 1914 graduate of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Ritchie was commissioned into the Black Watch (Royal Highlanders). During the First World War he served on the Western Front, in the Mesopotamian campaign, where he earned the Distinguished Service Order and in the Sinai and Palestine campaign, where he was awarded the Military Cross. Between the wars he participated in the Occupation of the Rhineland, attended the Staff College, Camberley, and commanded a battalion in Palestine during the Arab revolt.
During the Second World War he served with the British Expeditionary Force in the Battle of France in 1940 as the Brigadier General Staff of II Corps, commanded by Lieutenant-General Sir Alan Brooke. Although Ritchie's career looked finished after Gazala, he was given command of XII Corps, which he led throughout the campaign in North West Europe, from June 1944 until Victory in Europe Day in May 1945.
After the war he was given the Scottish Command and was Governor of Edinburgh Castle from 1945 to 1947. He commanded Far East Land Forces from 1947 to 1949 and led the Joint Services Mission in Washington, DC, from 1949 until his retirement in 1951. Afterwards he emigrated to Canada, where he pursued a career in business.
Neil Methuen Ritchie was born in Essequibo, British Guiana, on 29 July 1897, the third child of a Scottish planter, Dugald MacDougall Ritchie, and his wife Anna Catherine Leggatt. He had an older brother and sister, and a younger sister. His brother Alan MacDougall Ritchie became a brigadier in the British Army. His father's sugar cane business was ruined by a crop disease, and the family moved to British Malaya, where he established a rubber plantation. Ritchie was educated at Lancing College, a boarding school, and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.
After the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, Ritchie passed out from Sandhurst on 16 December and was, at the age of 17, commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Black Watch (Royal Highlanders). Among his fellow cadets was another future general, John Grover. As he was too young, Ritchie was not sent overseas until 18 May 1915. He served initially on the Western Front with the 1st Battalion, Black Watch, one of the two Regular Army battalions in the regiment, which was then part of the 1st Brigade of the 1st Division. He was wounded during the Battle of Loos on 26 September, and was promoted to lieutenant on 2 October while he was in hospital.
After recovering from his injuries, Ritchie was promoted to the temporary rank of captain on 2 March 1916, and made an acting captain on 22 April. He joined the 2nd Battalion, the other Regular Army battalion in the regiment, which was part of the 21st (Bareilly) Brigade in the 7th (Meerut) Division, a British Indian Army division, serving in the Middle East in the Mesopotamian campaign. He was designated acting battalion adjutant on 24 April, and he was confirmed in the role on 5 January 1917. The battalion participated in the capture of Baghdad in March, and was one of the first units to enter the city. It then fought in the Battle of Istabulat on 21 April. Ritchie contracted paratyphoid and was evacuated to Bombay. For his services in Mesopotamia, he was mentioned in despatches. He was made a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order on 25 August, and promoted to the substantive rank of captain on 19 November.
Ritchie rejoined the 2nd Battalion in December and resumed his role of adjutant. In late December the 7th (Meerut) Division was sent to Palestine to participate in the Sinai and Palestine campaign. Ritchie was awarded the Military Cross on 15 February 1919 for his actions during the Battle of Sharon on 19 September 1918. His citation read:
Hub AI
Neil Ritchie AI simulator
(@Neil Ritchie_simulator)
Neil Ritchie
General Sir Neil Methuen Ritchie, GBE, KCB, DSO, MC, KStJ (29 July 1897 – 11 December 1983) was a British Army officer who served in the First and Second World Wars. During the Second World War he commanded the British Eighth Army in the North African campaign from November 1941 until he was dismissed in June 1942 after a disastrous defeat in the Battle of Gazala.
A 1914 graduate of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Ritchie was commissioned into the Black Watch (Royal Highlanders). During the First World War he served on the Western Front, in the Mesopotamian campaign, where he earned the Distinguished Service Order and in the Sinai and Palestine campaign, where he was awarded the Military Cross. Between the wars he participated in the Occupation of the Rhineland, attended the Staff College, Camberley, and commanded a battalion in Palestine during the Arab revolt.
During the Second World War he served with the British Expeditionary Force in the Battle of France in 1940 as the Brigadier General Staff of II Corps, commanded by Lieutenant-General Sir Alan Brooke. Although Ritchie's career looked finished after Gazala, he was given command of XII Corps, which he led throughout the campaign in North West Europe, from June 1944 until Victory in Europe Day in May 1945.
After the war he was given the Scottish Command and was Governor of Edinburgh Castle from 1945 to 1947. He commanded Far East Land Forces from 1947 to 1949 and led the Joint Services Mission in Washington, DC, from 1949 until his retirement in 1951. Afterwards he emigrated to Canada, where he pursued a career in business.
Neil Methuen Ritchie was born in Essequibo, British Guiana, on 29 July 1897, the third child of a Scottish planter, Dugald MacDougall Ritchie, and his wife Anna Catherine Leggatt. He had an older brother and sister, and a younger sister. His brother Alan MacDougall Ritchie became a brigadier in the British Army. His father's sugar cane business was ruined by a crop disease, and the family moved to British Malaya, where he established a rubber plantation. Ritchie was educated at Lancing College, a boarding school, and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.
After the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, Ritchie passed out from Sandhurst on 16 December and was, at the age of 17, commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Black Watch (Royal Highlanders). Among his fellow cadets was another future general, John Grover. As he was too young, Ritchie was not sent overseas until 18 May 1915. He served initially on the Western Front with the 1st Battalion, Black Watch, one of the two Regular Army battalions in the regiment, which was then part of the 1st Brigade of the 1st Division. He was wounded during the Battle of Loos on 26 September, and was promoted to lieutenant on 2 October while he was in hospital.
After recovering from his injuries, Ritchie was promoted to the temporary rank of captain on 2 March 1916, and made an acting captain on 22 April. He joined the 2nd Battalion, the other Regular Army battalion in the regiment, which was part of the 21st (Bareilly) Brigade in the 7th (Meerut) Division, a British Indian Army division, serving in the Middle East in the Mesopotamian campaign. He was designated acting battalion adjutant on 24 April, and he was confirmed in the role on 5 January 1917. The battalion participated in the capture of Baghdad in March, and was one of the first units to enter the city. It then fought in the Battle of Istabulat on 21 April. Ritchie contracted paratyphoid and was evacuated to Bombay. For his services in Mesopotamia, he was mentioned in despatches. He was made a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order on 25 August, and promoted to the substantive rank of captain on 19 November.
Ritchie rejoined the 2nd Battalion in December and resumed his role of adjutant. In late December the 7th (Meerut) Division was sent to Palestine to participate in the Sinai and Palestine campaign. Ritchie was awarded the Military Cross on 15 February 1919 for his actions during the Battle of Sharon on 19 September 1918. His citation read: