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Archibald Ritchie (British Army officer)

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Sir Archibald Ritchie
Born(1869-05-14)14 May 1869
Died9 July 1955(1955-07-09) (aged 86)
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service / branch British Army
RankMajor-General
Commands26th Brigade
11th (Northern) Division
16th (Irish) Division
51st (Highland) Division
Battles / warsSecond Boer War
First World War
AwardsKnight Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Companion of the Order of the Bath, Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George, Mentioned in Dispatches

Major-General Sir Archibald Buchanan Ritchie, KBE CB CMG (14 May 1869 – 9 July 1955) was a British Army officer, who commanded the 11th (Northern) Division and 16th (Irish) Division during the First World War.

Military career

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Ritchie was born in May 1869, the son of John Ritchie, an artillery officer who would later rise to the rank of major general. He was educated at the United Services College and the Royal Military College at Sandhurst, before being commissioned as a subaltern, with the rank of second lieutenant, into the Seaforth Highlanders in September 1889.[1] He saw service in the Nile Campaign of 1898, and was promoted to captain on 2 May 1898.[2]

When the Second Boer War broke out in late 1899, Ritchie was temporarily appointed Adjutant of the newly established 4th (Militia) Battalion of the West Yorkshire Regiment, which was sent to South Africa. He was twice mentioned in despatches for his service[3] and returned to the United Kingdom in March 1902.[4]

On the outbreak of the First World War, Ritchie was a Lieutenant-Colonel commanding the 1st Battalion Seaforth Highlanders, based in India. The battalion was mobilised as part of the 7th (Meerut) Division in Indian Expeditionary Force A, and sent to France, where it arrived in October 1914,[5] and first saw action on 7 November.[6] He remained with the battalion during the Battle of Neuve Chapelle in March 1915, where his commander praised him as "most reliable".[7] and later in the year was promoted and given command of 26th Infantry Brigade in 9th (Scottish) Division. He led the brigade at the Battle of Loos (1915) and the Battle of the Somme (1916) before being promoted to command the 11th (Northern) Division in December 1916, which carried with it the temporary rank of major general.[8] He was wounded in May 1917, and, after recovering from his injuries, and after being promoted back to temporary major general in May 1918,[9] returned to command the 16th (Irish) Division.[3]

Following the end of the war, Ritchie was confirmed in the rank of major general in June 1919,[10] and commanded the 51st (Highland) Division in the Territorial Army (TA) from 1923–27 before retiring from the army. In retirement, he was the ceremonial colonel of the Seaforth Highlanders from 1931–39.[3]

References

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  1. ^ "No. 25976". The London Gazette. 20 September 1889. p. 5051.
  2. ^ "No. 26975". The London Gazette. 7 June 1898. p. 3511.
  3. ^ a b c "RITCHIE, Major-Gen. Sir Archibald Buchanan", in Who Was Who (2007). Online edition
  4. ^ "The War - return of troops". The Times. No. 36724. London. 25 March 1902. p. 8.
  5. ^ Willcocks, pp. 19-20
  6. ^ Willcocks, p. 92
  7. ^ Willcocks, p. 219
  8. ^ "No. 29897". The London Gazette (Supplement). 9 January 1917. p. 446.
  9. ^ "No. 30692". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 May 1918. p. 5966.
  10. ^ "No. 31395". The London Gazette. 6 June 1919. p. 7421.

Sources

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Further reading

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  • Davies, Frank (1997). Bloody Red Tabs: General Officer Casualties of the Great War 1914–1918. London: Pen & Sword Books. ISBN 9781783462377.
Military offices
Preceded by GOC 11th (Northern) Division
1916−1917 		Succeeded by
Preceded by GOC 16th (Irish) Division
1918–1919 		Succeeded by
Post disbanded
Preceded by GOC 51st (Highland) Division
1923–1927 		Succeeded by
Honorary titles
Preceded by Colonel of the Seaforth Highlanders
1931–1939 		Succeeded by
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