Early Career
Born in Edinburgh to Dr Robert and Mary Ritchie, Henry was educated at George Watson's Boys' College and Blair Lodge before he enrolled on the training ship HMS Britannia at the age of fourteen, in 1890. Rapidly rising in the navy due to keen intelligence and impressive strength, Ritchie was promoted to lieutenant six years later, and served for the next fifteen years as a junior staff officer at Sheerness Gunnery School. In 1900 Ritchie became the armed forces lightweight boxing champion, and was the runner up in the same contest the following year. Whilst stationed at Sheerness, he met and married Christiana Lilian Jardine, with whom he would have two daughters.
His shore service ended in March 1911, when he was posted as senior lieutenant to the pre-dreadnought battleship HMS Goliath. Promoted to commander later that year, he managed the ship's gunnery exercises and procedures while Goliath was part of the Channel Fleet stationed in British waters. It was said by one of his junior officers that "Ritchie had the reputation of being very strict, but I always found him most fair".
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