RITCHIE, Robert
| Service Number: | 98 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 28 January 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 3rd Machine Gun Battalion |
| Born: | Haddington, Scotland, January 1890 |
| Home Town: | Bondi, Waverley, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Tram Conductor |
| Died: | Gassed 17/4/1918, 2/1st Southern General Hospital, Birmingham, England, United Kingdom, 9 May 1918 |
| Cemetery: |
Haddington (St Martin's) New Burial Ground, Haddington, Scotland, United Kingdom Row H, Grave No. 16 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 28 Jan 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 98, 9th Machine Gun Company | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 May 1916: | Involvement Private, 98, 9th Machine Gun Company, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '21' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Benalla embarkation_ship_number: A24 public_note: '' | |
| 1 May 1916: | Embarked Private, 98, 9th Machine Gun Company, HMAT Benalla, Sydney | |
| 1 Dec 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 9th Machine Gun Company | |
| 20 Feb 1918: | Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 9th Machine Gun Company | |
| 9 May 1918: | Involvement Corporal, 98, 3rd Machine Gun Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 98 awm_unit: 3rd Australian Machine Gun Battalion awm_rank: Corporal awm_died_date: 1918-05-09 |
Help us honour Robert Ritchie's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Geoffrey Gillon
He sustained wounds from having been gassed in France and died in hospital in Birmingham. He was said to be 28. He was the youngest son of Andrew Ritchie, Market Gardener and Euphemia Blackie Ritchie.
Deaths Jun 1918 Ritchie Robert 28 Birmingham 6d 202
Wargrave with Private Memorial.
He is remembered on the Haddington War Memorial at St Marys Church, the largest Parish Church in Scotland. The earliest reference to a church in Haddington dates from 1139
Founded as a Collegiate Church in 1380, and taking over one hundred years to build, the church was largely ruined during the mid sixteenth century Siege of Haddington. This was after the Rough Wooing by Henry VIII the siege of Haddington taking place in 1548-49.
At the instigation of John Knox, born in Giffordgate just across the river, the Town Council repaired the Church in 1561 "frae steeple to the west end".
The War Memorial is at the entry to St Mary's Parish Church
1 Sidegate
Haddington
East Lothian
Lothian
EH41 4AS
Scotland
It is a cross of red sandstone with shaft and plinth, sitting on three stepped stone base. Dedicatory plaques on plinth and stone base. Raised lettering in black.
Biography contributed by Cathy Sedgwick
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick (OAM) – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”
Robert Ritchie was born at Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland in 1890.
He came to Australia when he was 19 years old & joined the Australian Imperial Force on 20th March, 1916 as a 26 year old Tram Conductor from Bondi, NSW.
Private Ritchie, Service number 98, arrived in England for further training on 10th July, 1916.
He was hospitalised on 4th September, 1916 & proceeded overseas to France on 21st November, 1916.
Private Ritchie was appointed Lance Corporal on 1st December, 1916. Promoted to Temporary Corporal on 22nd August, 1917, he was sent to England on 6th September, 1917 to join Machine Gun School at Grantham & rejoined 9th Machine Gun Company in France on 8th January, 1918.
Temporary Corporal Ritchie was promoted to Corporal on 20th February, 1918.
Corporal Robert Ritchie was wounded in action - Gassed on 17th April, 1918.
He was invalided to England & admitted to 2/1st Southern General Hospital, Birmingham, England on 23rd April, 1918 with “Shell Gas Poisoning – very severe. Burns of body. Ulceration of epiglottis & larynx. Late bronchitis developing. Broncho-pneumonia affecting all lobes.”
Corporal Robert Ritchie died at 11.35 pm on 9th May, 1918 at 2/1st Southern General Hospital, Birmingham, England from (1) Shell Gas Poisoning & (2) Broncho-pneumonia.
He was buried in Haddington Cemetery, Haddington, Scotland & has a private headstone.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/haddington.html
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