Douglas Hamilton Ritchie
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Douglas Hamilton Ritchie | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament for Borrowdale | |
| In office 1965–1979 | |
| Preceded by | Peter Heaton Grey |
| Succeeded by | Hilary Squires |
| Constituency | Borrowdale |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 14 February 1918 |
| Died | 1999 (aged 80–81) South Africa |
| Alma mater | Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh Royal College of Surgeons of England (LDS) |
| Occupation | Dentist; politician |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Branch/service | Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1941–1945 |
| Rank | Flying Officer |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Douglas Archibald Hamilton Ritchie (14 February 1918 – 1999) was a Rhodesian dentist and politician. Born in the Colony of Jamaica to British parents, his family moved to the United Kingdom in his youth. After serving in the Royal Air Force during World War II, he moved to Southern Rhodesia and practised dentistry. He soon became one of the leading dentists in Rhodesia, and was elected to the Medical Council of Rhodesia in 1958. He entered politics in the 1960s, joining Rhodesian Front and representing the Salisbury suburb of Borrowdale as a member of parliament from 1965 to 1979. In the years following Zimbabwe's independence and the demise of Rhodesia, he emigrated to South Africa and engaged in general practice, dying there in 1999.
World War II service
Douglas Archibald Hamilton Ritchie was born on 14 February 1918 in Crossroads, Saint Andrew Parish in the Colony of Jamaica.[1] His parents, originally from the United Kingdom, were Blanch Louise Reid[2] and Archibald Hamilton Ritchie,[3] a University of Glasgow alumnus.[4] His family moved back to Britain in his youth. Hamilton Ritchie went on to dentistry, earning his Licentiate in Dental Surgery from the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1941.[5] He was awarded the Fellowship of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (FDRSCS), and in 1969, awarded the Fellowship of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (FDRSCSEd).[5]
After earning his Licentiate of Dental Surgery in 1941, and after qualification to practice dentistry, Hamilton Ritchie commenced service in the Royal Air Force amidst World War II,[5] being granted commission as a Dental Branch flying officer on 13 May 1941.[6] He served at the plastic and jaw injuries unit at East Grinstead, Sussex, and became a consultant specialist in dental surgery to the Ministry of Health.[5]