Douglas Archibald Hamilton Ritchie (14 February 1918 – 1999) was a

Rhodesia Rhodesia (, ), officially from 1970 the Republic of Rhodesia, was an unrecognised state in Southern Africa from 1965 to 1979, equivalent in territory to modern Zimbabwe. Rhodesia was the ''de facto'' successor state to the British colony of S ...

n dentist and politician. Born in the

Colony of Jamaica The Crown Colony of Jamaica and Dependencies was a British colony from 1655, when it was captured by the English Protectorate from the Spanish Empire. Jamaica became a British colony from 1707 and a Crown colony in 1866. The Colony was pri ...

to British parents, his family moved to the United Kingdom in his youth. After serving in the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, he moved to

Southern Rhodesia Southern Rhodesia was a landlocked self-governing British Crown colony in southern Africa, established in 1923 and consisting of British South Africa Company (BSAC) territories lying south of the Zambezi River. The region was informally kn ...

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 The Rhodesian Front was a right-wing conservative political party in Southern Rhodesia, subsequently known as Rhodesia. It was the last ruling party of Southern Rhodesia prior to that country's unilateral declaration of independence, and the rul ...

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.

Early life and education

Douglas Archibald Hamilton Ritchie was born on 14 February 1918 in Crossroads, Saint Andrew Parish in the

. His parents, originally from the United Kingdom, were Blanch Louise Reid and Archibald Hamilton Ritchie, a

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

alumnus. 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 The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) is an independent professional body and registered charity that promotes and advances standards of surgical care for patients, and regulates surgery and dentistry in England and Wales. The ...

in 1941. He was awarded the Fellowship of Dental Surgery of the

( FDRSCS), and in 1969, awarded the Fellowship of Dental Surgery of the

Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) is a professional organisation of surgeons. The College has seven active faculties, covering a broad spectrum of surgical, dental, and other medical practices. Its main campus is located on ...

(FDRSCSEd).

World War II service

After earning his Licentiate of Dental Surgery in 1941, and after qualification to practice dentistry, Hamilton Ritchie commenced service in the

amidst

, being granted commission as a Dental Branch flying officer on 13 May 1941. He served at the plastic and jaw injuries unit at

East Grinstead East Grinstead is a town in West Sussex, England, near the East Sussex, Surrey, and Kent borders, south of London, northeast of Brighton, and northeast of the county town of Chichester. Situated in the extreme northeast of the county, the civ ...

, Sussex, and became a consultant specialist in dental surgery to the Ministry of Health.

Career in Rhodesia

Following the end of the war, Hamilton Ritchie remained in Britain for several years, before emigrating to

in 1950, where he commenced general and consultant practice. He soon became one of the leading dentists in the colony. He was appointed honorary oral surgeon to the Salisbury hospital system, and in 1958 was elected to the Medical Council of Rhodesia.

Political career

In 1965, Hamilton Ritchie was elected to the Rhodesian

House of Assembly House of Assembly is a name given to the legislature or lower house of a bicameral parliament. In some countries this may be at a subnational level. Historically, in British Crown colonies as the colony gained more internal responsible governme ...

, representing the constituency of Borrowdale, a suburb of Salisbury, as a member of the party

. In 1970, he ran for re-election, defeating Centre Party challenger Thomas Bashford with 63% of the vote. He ran for re-election again in 1974, defeating

Rhodesia Party The Responsible Government Association (RGA), called the Rhodesia Party from 1923, was a political party in Southern Rhodesia. Founded in 1917, it initially advocated responsible government for Southern Rhodesia within the British Empire, as op ...

candidate Peter Bridger and the independent Wendy Ann Truen with 66% of vote. He ran for re-election for the last time in 1977, defeating with 74% of the vote challengers Lance Halford Reynolds of the National Unifying Force, Robert Sutton of the

Rhodesian Action Party The Rhodesian Action Party (RAP) was a political party in Rhodesia formed in 1977 by a group of MPs from the Rhodesian Front (RF) who were dissatisfied by the leadership of Ian Smith and his attempts to negotiate an 'internal settlement' with Afri ...

, and the independent Wendy Ann Truen. In the years following Zimbabwe's independence, Hamilton Ritchie emigrated to South Africa and continued to practice dentistry. He died there in 1999.

Electoral history

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ritchie, Douglas Hamilton 1918 births 1999 deaths People from Saint Andrew Parish, Jamaica Royal Air Force personnel of World War II Royal Air Force Medical Service officers British dentists British emigrants to Southern Rhodesia Rhodesian dentists White Rhodesian people Rhodesian Front politicians Members of the Parliament of Rhodesia People from Harare Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh Zimbabwean emigrants to South Africa South African dentists Zimbabwean expatriates in South Africa 20th-century surgeons 20th-century dentists Colony of Jamaica people