[1] He enlisted into the Royal Australian Navy on 30 June 1944 as a seaman aboard HMAS Hobart and witnessed the unconditional surrender of the Japanese Imperial Forces in Tokyo Bay on 2 September 1945, officially ending World War II in the Pacific.

Upon seeing someone on the cliff in distress, Ritchie would cross the road from his property and engage them in conversation, often beginning with the words, "Can I help you in some way?"

"[4] In 2006, he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his rescues,[6] the official citation being for "service to the community through programs to prevent suicide".

[7] Ritchie and his wife Moya were also named "Citizens of the Year" for 2010 by Woollahra Council, the local government authority responsible for the Gap.

[8] He received Local Hero Award for Australia in 2011, the National Australia Day Council saying: "His kind words and invitations into his home in times of trouble have made an enormous difference... With such simple actions, Don has saved an extraordinary number of lives.