Died: December 16, 2020.
BRIGADIER Charles Ritchie, who has died aged 79, had a distinguished army profession serving with the Royal Scots. His was a life full of incident. He was even credited with being concerned in one of many final duels to be fought within the UK.
Whereas at Sandhurst he and a fellow cadet had organized to take two younger girls to a sleek black-tie dance. When his buddy’s date cancelled, he took Ritchie’s date as a substitute by telling her he was the person advised the opposite woman that Ritchie was unable to attend, and took her to the celebration himself. That left Richie in full mufti, ready.
At size, the buddy returned from the celebration and instantly confessed to his wrongdoing. Ritchie, livid, challenged him to a duel. “Firearms, at daybreak, with seconds in attendance,” he declared.
It was determined that every man would take alternate pictures, beginning at a distance of 75 yards, stepping one yard ahead after every shot till blood was drawn. Finally the buddy charged and shot, drawing blood from Ritchie’s arm. The buddy claimed victory however was disqualified for “ungentlemanly behaviour”.
The incident was attribute of Ritchie, a proud and upright man who all through his profession courted many harmful occasions. His shut shaves ranged from his service in Northern Eire in the course of the Troubles, being arrested by the Soviets in Berlin as a spy, swimming within the sea alongside venomous sea-snakes in East Timor, and a helicopter crash on Salisbury Plain.
Such derring-do exploits ensured that he him gained a legendary popularity within the Royal Scots. Via all this, he by no means misplaced his skill to stay calm underneath excessive strain and preserve a way of humour. He was an distinctive raconteur and, considerably, his posthumously printed memoirs had been entitled, Laughter is the Greatest Weapon. A former colleague has commented: “Charles by no means misplaced his skill to speak straight to all ranks. He had a wonderful sense of humour – important in so lots of his postings.”
Ritchie’s diplomacy was a lot required when, throughout his time as army attaché on the Paris embassy, Diana, Princess of Wales, was killed in a automotive crash. He waived apart protocol and draped the coffin within the Royal Normal, not the Union Flag. Years later he remarked years later: “An official communication arrived to the ambassador informing him to thank me for the unconventional choice I had taken”.
Charles David Maciver Ritchie was born in Inverness right into a army household. His father, Lt Colonel Invoice Ritchie, had served within the Royal Scots. He attended Durlston Court prep college – the place the comic Tony Hancock had been a n ex-pupil and attended the varsity’s annual performs – after which Wellington School.
In 1962 he handed out at Sandhurst and was posted to the first Battalion of the Royal Scots to serve in Libya, the place he inadvertently ate some grapes {that a} farmer had sprayed with toxic fertiliser and was fortunate to outlive.
Ritchie served all through the world in a wide range of capacities. In 1978 he was Operations Officer with the British commanders-in-chief mission to the Soviet Forces in Germany, the place he was concerned in monitoring the actions of the Stasi in East Berlin.
One event was notably memorable – and harmful. Ritchie was captured after spending an evening in a ditch taking surreptitious photographs of Soviet Russian army tools and was subsequently expelled from East Germany. In his autobiography he wrote: “I satisfied the Soviets that I used to be a innocent character covertly spying for my nation.”
In 1972 Ritchie, as brigadier within the Royal Scots, partnered Princess Anne, the regiment’s colonel-in-chief, for the opening reel on the Royal Caledonian Ball in London. Different appointments included command of the third Battalion the Ulster Defence Regiment in Northern Eire. It was a difficult posting and required deft army and political expertise. He was appointed brigadier in 1988 and held additional posts with consultant at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, the Nato command centre in Belgium, and chief-of-staff to the UN Safety Pressure in Yugoslavia.
Ritchie was an ardent supporter of many Royal Scots occasions – notably on the Royal Scots Membership in Edinburgh – and was a proud upholder of the army and its traditions. He was colonel of his regiment from 1990 to 1995, an aide-de-camp to the Queen and a member of the Royal Firm of Archers.
After retiring he served as an revolutionary secretary of Edinburgh’s New Membership and as an brisk director of the Edinburgh Tattoo. As a farewell gesture in 2008 he was requested to appoint a favorite merchandise. With typical enthusiasm he requested that the West Linton and District Pipe Band, of which he was president, open the Tattoo on one evening. He was additionally chairman of The Troopers’ Charity.
Michael Denny was chairman of the New Membership in 2000 and was on the interview panel that appointed Ritchie. He advised The Herald: “Charles, on the interview, spoke with ardour and nice humour – recounting quite a few tales of his army prowess. He had us in stitches of laughter, and he obtained the job. Charles actually obtained caught into the job and have become a lot beloved by the employees and members alike.”
He remained a courteous and common member of the army neighborhood in Scotland. He himself mentioned he had led “a charmed and fortunate profession on life’s stage.”
Ritchie is survived by his spouse Araminta, whom he married in 1984, and their son, Paul.
