Neil Ritchie

Sir Neil Ritchie
Sir Neil Ritchie
	Ritchie in 1944
Born	29 July 1897; British Guiana
Died	11 December 1983 (aged 86); Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1914–1951
Rank	General
Service number	9334
Unit	Black Watch (Royal Highlanders); King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster);
Commands held	Far East Land Forces (1947–1948); Scottish Command (1945–1947); XII Corps (1943–1945); 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division (1942–1943); Eighth Army (1941–1942); 51st (Highland) Infantry Division (1940–1941); 2nd Battalion, King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) (1938–1939);
Battles/wars	First World War Western Front Battle of Loos; ; Mesopotamian campaign Capture of Baghdad; ; Sinai and Palestine campaign Battle of Sharon; ; ; Occupation of the Rhineland; Arab revolt in Palestine; Second World War Western Desert campaign Operation Crusader; Battle of Gazala; ; North West Europe campaign Battle of Normandy; Operation Plunder; Allied invasion of Germany; ; ;
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire; Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath; Distinguished Service Order; Military Cross; Mentioned in Despatches (5); Commander of the Legion of Merit (United States); Knight Grand Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau with Swords (Netherlands); Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari (Poland); Commander of the Legion of Honour (France); Croix de guerre (France);
Other work	Chairman of an insurance company; Colonel of the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) (1950–1952);

General Sir Neil Methuen Ritchie, GBE, KCB, DSO, MC, KStJ (29 July 1897 – 11 December 1983) was a British Army officer who saw service during the world wars. He is most notable during the Second World War for commanding the British Eighth Army in the North African campaign from November 1941 until being dismissed in June 1942. He later commanded XII Corps throughout the campaign in North West Europe, from June 1944 until Victory in Europe Day (VE Day) in May 1945.

A 1914 graduate of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Ritchie was commissioned in 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 British Expeditionary Force in the Battle of France as the Brigadier General Staff (BGS) of II Corps, commanded by Lieutenant-General Sir Alan Brooke. Although his career looked finished after his disastrous defeat in the Battle of Gazala in June 1942, he was given command of the 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division and then the XII Corps. After the war he commanded the Scottish Command and was Governor of Edinburgh Castle from 1945 to 1947. He commanded of 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.

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