Lance Corporal James D Ritchie

I joined the Scots Guards as a boy soldier and trained as a Piper.

I later joined the 1st Bn Scots Guards in 1970 where we deployed to the Persian Gulf for 9 months deployment whilst there I applied to join the Guards Para Company.

I joined the company at the begining of 1971 and spent all my time in 2 Troop. Whilst with the company I trained as a troop signaller and medic and served on various overseas postings including Northern Ireland, Europe, the Middle East and the Far East. 

In Northern Ireland,  we were deployed to Belfast and quite a few locations in the border area. On our last tour we had the Vig Platoon with us when they lost 2 men and 1 man wounded in an ambush near Crossmaglen.

After leaving the regular army I joined the TA and served in the RCT and the Black Watch until 2002.