Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation

Air Vice Marshal A P Ritchie (08069)

Alan Patrick                 b: 7 Apr 1899                     r: 28 Dec 1945                 d: 17 Aug 1961

CBE - 1 Jan 1944, AFC - 12 Jul 1920, MiD - 15 Sep 1939,  MiD - 26 Jul 1940, MiD - 1 Jan 1941.

(Army):- 3AM: 21 Apr 1917, (T) 2 Lt (P):  30 Aug 1917, (T) 2 Lt: 6 May 1918 [6 Jan 1918].

(RAF):- Lt: 1 Apr 1918, Fg Off: 1 Aug 1919 [1 Apr 1918], Flt Lt: 1 Jan 1925, Sqn Ldr: 1 Feb 1932, Wg Cdr: 1 Apr 1937, (T) Gp Capt: 1 Mar 1940, Act A/Cdre: xx May 1942, Gp Capt: 1 Jul 1942, Gp Capt: 20 Nov 1942 [1 Jul 1942], (T) A/Cdre: 1 Oct 1944, Act AVM: 18 Nov 1943, A/Cdre (WS): 18 Nov 1944, AVM: Retained.

21 Apr 1917:          Miscellaneous (Aviator), Recruits Depot, South Farnborough (76383)

30 Aug 1917:         Officer, RFC 

6 Jan 1918:            Flying Officer, RFC

xx xxx 1918:           Pilot, No 113 Sqn

29 Jun 1920:          Transferred to the Unemployed List

14 Jul 1920:           Pilot, No 100 Sqn

14 Jul 1920:           Granted a Short Service Commission in the rank of Flying Officer.

15 Mar 1921:         Attended Instructors' Course, Central Flying School.

16 Jun 1921:           Instructor, School of Technical Training (Men) (Manston) (Pending formation of 6 FTS)

22 Jul 1921:            Instructor, No 6 FTS. (Manston)

31 Mar 1922:          Pilot, No 100 Sqn.

 6 Apr 1922:            Short Service Commission extended to seven years on the Active List

 7 Nov 1922:           Granted a Permanent Commission in the rank of Flying Officer. (wef 14 Jul 1920)

28 Jul 1924:            Staff, RAF Staff College.

21 Oct 1925:           Officer Commanding, Inland Area/Home Communications Flight.

19 Sep 1927:           Attended RAF Staff College.

17 Dec 1928:          Supernumerary, RAF Staff College.

29 Jan 1929:           Air Staff - Intelligence, Khartoum.

20 Mar 1932:          Supernumerary, RAF Depot.

 4 Jun 1932:             Supernumerary, HQ No 1 Air Defence Group.

18 Jun 1932:            Staff, Directorate of Operations and Intelligence.

xx xxx 1935:            Officer Commanding, No 35 Sqn

15 Sep 1935:           En-route to the Sudan

xx xxx 1935:            Officer Commanding, No 47 Sqn. (wef 15 Sep 1935)

28 Jun 1937:            Staff, Combined HQ, British Forces in Palestine.

 1 Aug 1940:            Supernumerary, HQ No 5 Group. 

 7 Aug 1940:            SASO, HQ No 5 Group. 

10 Sep 1941:           Officer Commanding, RAF Cottesmore/No 14 OTU.

 6 Apr 1942:            In transit to Middle East

xx May 1942:           AOC, No 205 Group.

 3 Feb 1943             Supernumerary, RAF Pocklington

23 Feb 1943            Supernumerary,  No 93 Group.

25 Feb 1943:           AOC, No 93 Group.

Recommendation for the award of the Air Force Cross

"RITCHIE, Alan Patrick, F/O

Ekaterinodar, 18 May 1919 to 3 September 1919.  For tact, perseverance and energy with which Lieutenant Ritchie carried out his duties in instructing Russian officers to erect and fly British machines.  This in spite of lack of confidence of the Russian pilots in our machines has earned for him the respect of his Russian pupils.   He has the responsibility of testing in the air machines rigged by Russian mechanics who are often comparatively unskilled in their work."

Recommendation prepared by W/C Maund

(Source – Air 1/1957/204/206/12)

This page was last updated on 22/09/24

E L Ridley                          [Top of Page]                                        D F Rixson