VALE – COMMANDER WG “Bill” RITCHIE AM RAN RTD
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.
FUNERAL Details
10.00am Tuesday 12 December, Our Lady of Lourdes, 2 Townsend Road, Rockingham, WA, 6968
Bob Mummery
I was a friend of Bills son. I was fortunate early in my career to serve in HMAS Stirling where Bill was XO. A terrific church chap who was universally respected
Bill was my mother’s uncle I met him whilst he served on Mahoganey ship at Russell HQ in Canberra . What a tremendous long career in 4 conflicts