PROMOTED TO REAR-ADMIRAL
CAPTAIN J. S. M. RITCHIE
A DISTINGUISHED CAREER After an outstanding record of service. Captain d. ». At. Kiichie, A.D.C., K.N., has gamed the-distinction of., being the first Zeulander to be,. appointedja.ilag umcer of the Kdyal Navy'. Me has been promoted to the rank of rear-admiral, uud placed ou the retired list.'- liearauiuiral Kitchie was at one tune'captain oi the cruisers Uunedin and Dioniedt, and was the first .New Zealand-born naval officer to command a ship ot war in Dominion waters. .- A > Rear-admiral Ritchie is the fourth so_i of the late iUr and Airs J. M. Kitchie, of Duuedin, who. were highly-esteemed and prominent residents ot this city, Mis lather lounded, with Mr G. the stock, and station firm, which; wao later absorbed to give ; .the .National Moitr gage and Agency Company an interest in New Zealand. His brother (Mr George &', Ritchie) is now general manager- of tu« company in the - Dominion. Mia mother, will long be remembered for her social work and philanthropy, particularly in the Anglican church. An elder brother, is Dr Russell Ritchie, a gynecologist, whose work at the Batcheibr Hospital, where medical students have received their midwifery training, was distinguished. Other brothers are Mr W. T. Kitchie, now living in retirement near • Tiniaru, aifd-tne Rev. C. H. Kitchie, 'vicar of St. John's Anglican Church. Edinburgh: Another brother, Mr J. N. Ritchie, went to England at the outbreak of the Great War, received a commission, in the Seaforth Highlanders, and was.killed'in action, in. Mesopotamia.. An. only eister is, Mi's M'Kenzie, of .Vancouver. ■'. '.:•'.' v ;. f' Rear-admiral Ritchie was born in Duncdin on March 12, 1884, and was educated locally, and later at Wanganui College. While tnly 14 years of age ihe left New, Zealand with the intention of. joining the Royal Navy. Even in the early .stages of his career he acquitted himself, with, distinction, and built up a record now honoured by the lords of the Admiraltj • In April, 1899, - he joined' H:M.S. Britannia, the famous training ship at Dartmouth, and, as a -midshipman, the following year-' he was drafted J'">to EMS. ' Hannibal,- a battleship of the Channel Fleet. Three months later; he was transferred to the. bid cruiser Royal Arthur,' where he remained as a midship-, man till November. 1903. From then on promotion followed rapidly .until, in. the Battle of Jutland he was"•serving ;as lieutenant-commander of H.M.S. St. Vincent. *'•" J •"•-'■ --■ ■>*'■■■
■ in'December, 1917, he went to the'Admiralty, being attached to the .flans: and .anti-submarine Division,- the director, being Admiral Sir liogerKeyes, He "remained in that important'executive" position' till two months after the Armistice, when he again went to sea, this time, asj executive commander of HJtI.S. Malaya, . a battleship 61 31,109 tons; of the Queen Elizabeth. -.class 1 .-;'. When / Hear-, admiral Ritchie, was ' hey executive cbmmander, she convened the Interallied Commission of Control 1 to. Germany..'and the Duke of Connaught to India. - His Knowledge of armoury and weapons was again fully utilised when, in April, 1921, he,was culled to. the - Gunnery -Division. of; .the Admiralty, -working therev till .October, 1923. .-' -*" Two months later;'he was promoted: to captain, and in Augusts 1924;hereturned in, that capacity to-'the, .courses.: wich and andV;aftera' short spell he: was transferred as captain on the Ordnance '.Gbramittee,. at; Woolwidh> Arsenal." He helcl. this,-position till March, 1925, when on"ieaveTbffore.'being transferred'on loan-to-, 'the .New- 'Zealand Navy;- ■-■''.■: ;... " ■■■•■ ; % - „';"> -.-! FrorhSen'tember,, .1925; to OetoberQld27, he was captain of the'ship^-;Di"ota l Dunedin oii this station, having l tlie honour of being, the first New Zealarider to havecomnrandof New* Zealand cruisers. He was popular with the men' afloai~aiid on shore, and on his first visit to Dunedin he renewed many associations. Returning to England, Captain Ritchie was given the high appointment of Naval Attache to the British Embassy, at Washington, and held the diplomatic post till April, 1931, a period of three years. Then", for two jjears, he was director of■ the training.division of the Admiralty. > ;>'
In August, .19.33, he again. went to sea, this time in command of H.M.S. Furious, of; the Home Fleet. The Furious,is" an aeroplane carrier of the original cruiser; design formulated by Lord Fisher in.l?lj> ; in view of Baltic operations. '--"'■■-. ''" i Rear-admiral Ritchie,, who -was recently appointed an aide de camp to his Majesty the King, was married in 1929 to Miss Joan Karslake, daughter of Colonel and Mrs Karslake, of Silchester, near Reading, and Mrs Ritchie now has' 'her*Home in London. ! j <, •' . :
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Bibliographic details
Otago Daily Times, Issue 22721, 6 November 1935, Page 12
Word Count
729PROMOTED TO REAR-ADMIRAL Otago Daily Times, Issue 22721, 6 November 1935, Page 12
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