Ritchie, Charles Alexander
Personal Information
Rank | P/O |
Forename(s) | Charles Alexander |
Surname | Ritchie |
Gender | M |
Age | 23 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 16-03-1944 |
Next of Kin | Son of Alexander Ritchie and Helen Catherine Ritchie (née Arnott), of Roblin, Manitoba, Canada. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Handley Page Halifax III |
Serial Number | LW426 |
Markings | PT-Q |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Germany |
Burial/Memorial Place | Durnbach War Cemetery |
Grave Reference | 4. E. 34. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 233 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | J/85789 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 6 |
Squadron | 420 (Snowy Owl) |
Trade | Navigator |
Country of Origin | Canada |
Other Memorials
Location | Ritchie Peninsula, Manitoba; Within Unagimau Lake |
Country | Canada |
Memorial Type | Peninsula |
Memorial Text |
Location | Outside former St. Georges Hotel, Teesside Airport, County Durham |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Slate Tablet on Memorial Stone |
Memorial Text | In memory of those who served at RAF Croft, 1941-1945 including 420 Sqn RCAF |
Location | Village Green, Tholthorpe, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Stone Memorial, inscribed Metal Plaque and Maple Tree |
Memorial Text | A memorial, in English & French, to those Canadians who served at RAF Tholthorpe during WW2, including 420 (RCAF) Sqn |
Location | Former Control Tower, Tholthorpe Airfield, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Metal Plaque |
Memorial Text | A memorial to those Canadians who served at RAF Tholthorpe during WW2, including 420 Sqn |
Miscellaneous Information
Charles was born on 23 February 1921 at Roblin, Manitoba. His father was born at Toronto, Ontario and was a farmer and his mother was born in Kinross, Scotland. He had sisters Janet and Mary and three brothers: Andrew Logan Ritchie (who was a Gunner), Flying Officer James Ritchie J/24907 (who was stationed in Iceland), and William Ralph. The school he attended was Goose Lake Consolidated, 1927-1935 and again in 1935. His sport interests were softball, skating and football. Charles wasn’t working between 1927-1940, possibly due to illness. He then worked as a farm labourer in Roblin for about two months in 1940 and again during 1940-41 for J. Ritchie Jr. |
He enlisted on 26 November 1941 and after training was posted to the U.K. embarking from Canada on 11 December 1942 and arrived at 3 PRC 19 December 1942. He was then at 9 (0) AFU 17 May 1943 and 22 OTU 15 June 1943. He was posted to 420 Squadron on 23 September and then spent time in North Africa before eventually being re-posted to 420 Squadron on 15 March 1944, where he then lost his life the following day. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1826/4 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1826/3 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 15-03-1944 |
End Date | 16-03-1944 |
Takeoff Station | Tholthorpe |
Day/Night Raid | Night (69% moon) |
Operation | Stuttgart. 863 aircraft, 37 losses (4.3%). The bomber stream made its approach through France, crossing the German border as late as possible, delaying the point at which the German fighters were able to enter the stream. PFF marking was well short of the target, possibly due to the strong winds as the conditions were clear. Although some of the early bombing fell in the city, much of the later bombing fell outside. Damage was light- 88 deaths and 203 injuries. |
Reason for Loss | Shot down by a night-fighter and crashed near to Echterdingen airfield, Germany |