Neil Ritchie

Sir Neil Ritchie
Ritchie, as commander of XII Corps, in France, 29 July 1944.
Born	(1897-07-29)29 July 1897 British Guiana
Died	11 December 1983(1983-12-11) (aged 86) Toronto, Canada
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1914–1951
Rank	General
Unit	Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)
Commands held	Far East Land Forces (1947–48) Scottish Command (1945–47) XII Corps (1943–45) 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division (1942–43) Eighth Army (1941–42) 51st (Highland) Infantry Division (1940–41) 2nd Battalion, King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) (1938–39)
Battles/wars	First World War Western Front Mesopotamian campaign Second World War Dunkirk evacuation North African Campaign Battle of Gazala Battle of Normandy
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 (4) 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) (1950–52)

General Sir Neil Methuen Ritchie, GBE, KCB, DSO, MC, KStJ (29 July 1897 – 11 December 1983) was a senior British Army officer who saw service during both the First and Second World Wars. He commanded the Eighth Army in the North African Campaign until being dismissed in June 1942. Returning to England, he later commanded the 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division and led XII Corps in the campaign in Northwest Europe from June 1944 until May 1945.

Following Lancing and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Ritchie's military career started in 1914 when he was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment). During the First World War he served with the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in Belgium and France, where he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in 1917, and later in the Mesopotamian campaign, in which he won the Military Cross in 1918, for "a fine example of coolness, courage and utter disregard of danger".