The Airmen's Stories - F/O G L Ritcher

Geoffrey Louis Ritcher was born on 16th June 1913 in London, the son of Paul Ritscher (1877-1933) and Eva Ritscher (nee Spitzel 1886-1971).

His father was from Vienna and his mother from Australia. At some time after their marriage they started using the surname Ritcher.

Geoffrey joined the RAF on a short service commission and began his initial training on 25th July 1938. His pre-war service details are unknown but he may have been an instructor before going to 7 OTU Hawarden on 2nd September 1940.

After converting to Spitfires he joined 234 Squadron at St. Eval on 18th September. He damaged a Ju88 on 28th October and destroyed another on 29th November.

Ritcher was posted away to 53 OTU Heston in December 1940 as an instructor.

His subsequent service is currently undocumented until he was released from the RAF in 1946 as a Squadron Leader.

Ritcher died on 26th March 1999 in Mendip, Somerset and was cremated at Haycombe, Bath.

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He may have reflected that his time as a fighter pilot was calmer than it would have been in the orbit of his mother (below).