Private Alexander Ritchie

Private Alexander Ritchie, 2nd Battalion, Royal Scots. He was killed in action in Belgium on 25th September 1915, aged 19. He had been born at Bervie, Kincardineshire and was the son of Mr and Mrs Thomas Ritchie of Redheugh, Cockburnspath and Thurston Mains, Innerwick, East Lothian. He is commemorated on the Menin Gate, Ypres. He fell in an attack by the Battalion at Hooge in the Salient which after capturing the Objective was forced back to the original trenches by a strong German counter attack. Casualties were heavy with 10 Officers and 244 Other Ranks being killed and wounded. The Regimental History comments “not a yard of ground had been gained but our object had been fullfilled by the attack”. i.e. keeping strong German forces away from the Battle of Loos which had opened the same day. ( Scant consolation ! )