Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Patrick Ernest Boulton was born on 1st April 1943 at the Royal Hospital for Women at Paddington in Sydney, directly opposite Victoria Barracks where he was later recruited into the Australian Army. Many years before that though, Pat lived his younger years in Council Street, Bondi Junction with his older brother Barry, his mother Catherine and his father Elwyn. With no significant military background in the family, Pat’s influences to join the military may have stemmed from his adventurous school days and his time as an Army cadet, the influence of close friends and family and circumstance.

Pat attended Wellington Street Public School until 1950 then moved to Waverley College in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. Just after leaving Waverley College at the end of 1959, Pat applied to join the Army as an officer intending to go to the Royal Military College, Duntroon however as he was not yet 17 the recruiters recommended he reapply when he turned 18. At that point he decided to enter Articles of Law with Conway & Co and did not consider a military career again until the end of 1963. 

In early 1964, Pat enlisted into the Citizens Military Forces (CMF which is now known as the Army Reserve) and in May 1964 commenced training in the Officer Cadet Training Unit (OCTU) at Victoria Barracks and then at the former WWI Light Horse Brigade training camp at Wallgrove. In December 1965, Pat graduated as a Second Lieutenant and was allocated to the Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps (RAAOC) and was posted to 1 Base Ammunition Depot at Forest Lodge in Sydney.

Whilst in the CMF, Pat moved up through the ranks to major and served in various units throughout Sydney, learning and applying his trade as a logistics officer. It was during this time that Pat’s future military career and personal life was forever shaped by interesting and colourful characters, many of whom were veterans of Vietnam, Korea and Malaya, and challenging experiences not the least of which was a tour of Vietnam as a logistics systems observer. Pat received the Vietnam Logistic and Support Medal (VLSM) and the Australian Active Service Medal (AASM) for his service in Vietnam.

Up until this point Pat had been working in different government roles as a public servant and only part time as an Army Reserve officer. Having served for several years and being appointed to senior positions within RAAOC, Pat decided to undertake a further challenge and transferred to full time service in the Australian Regular Army (ARA) on 26 August 1975. He remained in RAAOC however was reduced in rank to captain.

Over the next few years Pat served in a number of units as an officer commanding and senior logistics officer and deployed overseas in 1977 on Exercise Long Look, touring and working with the British Army in the UK and Germany.

Pat was promoted again to major in 1981 and appointed to senior staff officer positions. Despite having moved with the family interstate to Brisbane, Perth and finally back to Sydney, Pat became a fixture in the Moorebank military area, remaining there for many years and becoming the local military history expert having lived through most of it. Pat was eventually posted out to Melbourne however, ironically, the role was for duty in Moorebank. By this time, Pat was synonymous with 21 Supply Bn and Moorebank Logistics Group and was a keen and extremely skilled shot, taking many awards and leading the local Unit shooting teams in many competitions.

With a wealth of knowledge, experience and superior project management skills, Pat was instrumental in the formulation of the Defence National Storage and Distribution Centre (DNSDC) which amalgamated many tri-Service Defence units into an enduring national capability; for his long and tireless work, Pat was awarded a Chief of the General Staff Commendation.

After a long ARA career, Pat transferred back to where he started in the Army Reserve in his old stomping grounds in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney at HQ 2 Div. 34 years of service to his country later, Pat retired from military life in April 1998.

Service History

Name: Patrick Ernest Boulton

Rank: Major

Regimental Number: 256851

Enlisted Citizens Military Forces (CMF) 2 Apr 1964

Officer Cadet Training Unit (OCTU) May 1964
Second Lieutenant (RAAOC) 21 Dec 1965
Various CMF units in Sydney
Promoted to Captain 5 Mar 1969
Vietnam 18 Aug – 4 Sep 1970
Promoted to Major 21 Dec 1973

Transferred Australian Regular Army (ARA) 26 Aug 1975

Transferred as a Captain
* Various ARA units in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Melbourne and Canberra
* Promoted to Major 26 Aug 1981
* Awarded Chief of the General Staff Commendation 3 Apr 1990
* Transferred ARES 8 Sep 1997

Staff Officer Grade 2 HQ 2nd Division, Randwick

Retired from military service 1 Apr 1998

Service Awards and Honours

* Australian Active Service Medal (AASM - Vietnam)
* Vietnam Logistic and Support Medal (VLSM)
* Defence Force Service Medal (DFSM) with clasp
* Australian Defence Medal (ADM)

* Chief of General Staff Commendation (CGSCOM)