383 www.on.legion.ca ONTARIO COMMAND RITCHIE, Harold Allison Harold was born in Fergus, Ontario on September 13, 1923. He was living in Harrison when he enlisted in the RCAF on November 3, 1942 during World War II. After training in Ontario and Quebec, Harold went to England as a Bomb Aimer and was assigned to the 57th Squadron 5 Group flying out of East Kirkby. W.O.2. Ritchie landed back in Canada in August 1945 and was discharged on October 9, 1945. He married Helen King in 1951 and raised a family of two girls and two boys. He was a proud Veteran and Legion member of Branch 134 in Mount Forest for 60 years. Harold passed away in 2008. RITZ, Ernst Frederick “Ernie” Ernie was born in New Hamburg, Ontario on April 5, 1925. He enlisted in the RCAF on September 28, 1943 and trained as Pilot until all pilot training ceased in October 1944. He served in Canada during World War II. He graduated as Navigator at Portage la Prairie in March 1945. Ernie was discharged on May 8, 1945. In July 1946 he married Betty Murray. They had two sons, Bill and John. Ernie was a weekly newspaper editor and publisher for nineteen years; Mayor of New Hamburg for two years, Mayor of Wilmot for six years and Police Service Board Member for seven years. He received the Ontario Heritage Society Lifetime Achievement Award, Queen’s Jubilee Medal and awards for preservation of history and heritage; he is the author of several history books. Ernie led in planning and construction of local Legion Hall. He is Founding, Charter and Life Member, over 63 years, of Legion Branch 532, New Hamburg, Ontario. RITCHIE, Richard Richard was born on January 15, 1894 in Rosehearty, Scotland. Prior to the war Richard resided in Merlin, Ontario where he was employed as a farmer and was not yet married. On November 15, 1915 Richard signed attestation papers in Chatham, ON, enlisting him in the Canadian Expeditionary Force to fight on behalf of Canada and the British Empire in World War I; he was given the rank of Private and assigned to the 18th Battalion Canada Infantry-Western Ontario Regiment. Private Richard Ritchie was one of the causalities on the day August 8, 1918 at the age of 24 and is memorialized on the West wall of the Vimy Ridge memorial section 3 “P” to “R”.
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