Gilbert Ridley (known as Ridley) was the second of three children of Charles Waymouth (Architect) and Winifred Theodora (nee Mather) of Hornsey and Barnet.

Ridley trained for the Royal Navy at Osborne and Dartmouth and was sent to sea in 1917 at the age of 16.   He was soon in action against part of the German Fleet.   Between wars he specialised in signal communications.   When war started he was on convoy work and later was head of communications for Western Approaches with a staff of 16,000.   As a Captain he headed Navy intelligence and then commanded the light cruiser HMS Delhi which took part in the invasion of France in 1944 and later was guardship at Split, Yugoslavia.   He was awarded CBE.   He retired in 1951 after heading Navy Signals and other senior appointments.   He devoted the rest of his life to Christian Moral Re-Armament.

Ridley married Gwenneth Rice, daughter of Lt. Col. Brinsley (Brough) Rice, DSO.   They had three sons and a daughter.