Archibald Ritchie (British Army officer)

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.

Sir Archibald Ritchie
Born	(1869-05-14)14 May 1869
Died	9 July 1955(1955-07-09) (aged 86)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Rank	Major-General
Commands held	26th Brigade 11th (Northern) Division 16th (Irish) Division 51st (Highland) Division
Battles/wars	Second Boer War First World War
Awards	Knight 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

Military career

Ritchie was born in 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, Sandhurst, before joining the Seaforth Highlanders on 1889. He saw service in the Nile Campaign of 1898, and was promoted to captain on 2 May 1898. 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,[1] and returned to the United Kingdom in March 1902,[2] when he returned to his old regiment.

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,[3] and first saw action on 7 November.[4] He remained with the battalion during the Battle of Neuve Chapelle in March 1915, where his commander praised him as "most reliable".[5] and later in the year was promoted and given command of 26th 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. He was wounded in May 1917, and in 1918 returned to command 16th (Irish) Division.[1]

Following the end of the war, Ritchie was confirmed in the rank of Major-General, and commanded 51st (Highland) Division in the Territorial Army from 1923-27 before retiring. In retirement, he was the ceremonial colonel of the Seaforth Highlanders from 1931-39.[1]

References

1. "RITCHIE, Major-Gen. Sir Archibald Buchanan", in Who Was Who (2007). Online edition
2. "The War - return of troops". The Times (36724). London. 25 March 1902. p. 8.
3. Willcocks, pp. 19-20
4. Willcocks, p. 92
5. Willcocks, p. 219

Sources

• Willcocks, James (1920). With the Indians in France. Constable.

Military offices
Preceded by Charles Woollcombe	General Officer Commanding the 11th (Northern) Division December 1916 – May 1917	Succeeded by Henry Rodolph Davies
Preceded by William Hickie	General Officer Commanding the 16th (Irish) Division 1918–1919	Succeeded by Post Disbanded
Preceded by Ewen Sinclair-Maclagan	General Officer Commanding the 51st (Highland) Division 1923–1927	Succeeded by William Thomson