RITCHIE, William Gray
| Service Numbers: | W87677, F5430, 31845, O1421 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 17 March 1944 |
| Last Rank: | Commander |
| Last Unit: | Not yet discovered |
| Born: | Kalgoorlie, WA, 1 March 1926 |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Not yet discovered |
| Died: | Natural Causes, Hollywood Hospital, 27 November 2023, aged 97 years |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: |
World War 2 Service
| 17 Mar 1944: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, W87677 | |
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| 25 Jul 1944: | Enlisted Royal Australian Navy, Commander, F5430 |
Korean War Service
| 31 Aug 1951: | Involvement Royal Australian Navy, Petty Officer, 31845 |
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Vietnam War Service
| 31 May 1965: | Involvement Royal Australian Navy, Lieutenant Commander, O1421 | |
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| 8 Apr 1967: | Involvement Royal Australian Navy, Lieutenant Commander, O1421 | |
| 28 Apr 1967: | Involvement Royal Australian Navy, Lieutenant Commander, O1421 | |
| 19 May 1967: | Involvement Royal Australian Navy, Lieutenant Commander, O1421 | |
| 19 Sep 1968: | Involvement Royal Australian Navy, Lieutenant Commander, O1421 |
World War 2 Service
| 1 Sep 1983: | Discharged Royal Australian Navy, Commander, F5430 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Daryl Jones
It is with much sadness that I advise the passing of Bill Ritchie last night, Monday 27 Nov, in Hollywood Hospital. Bill was 97 years young and a stalwart of many Ex Service Organisations and well known for not missing a function – always happy to respond positively to an invite.
Bill was actually christened as Bill but, when enlisting in the RAN in 1944, was told that the navy would not recognise the name Bill, so Bill became William. His long service as a sailor and an officer in the RAN included active service in WWII, Korea, the Malaysian Emergency and Vietnam. He was Officer of the Day in the carrier HMAS MELBOURNE on Christmas Day 1974 in the immediate aftermath of Cyclone Tracy. What followed kept Bill a very busy man for some time. His stories of that time, and others, are legendary. He has written quite a tome on his naval career, maybe sometime in the future we may get to see and read it.
RIP Bill, you will be missed by many of your family and friends.
Bob Mummery