Theodore Friederick Ulrich DSO (1888 - 1963)

Biography

Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Ulrich DSO was an Australian officer who served throughout both the First and Second World Wars. A member of the First Australian Imperial Force during The Great War he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order and Bar, and was Mentioned in Despatches on three occasions. At the outbreak of the Second World War Ulrich was tasked with organising the defence of Victoria.

Theodore Friederick Ulrich was born on 10th December 1888 at Ararat, Victoria (Australia). He was the youngest of the nine children of German-born Augustus Ulrich, astock agent, and his Irish-born wife, Catherine Darling. ^[1] Only five of the children survived childhood. The family moved to 67 Park Street East, Brunswick, Victoria. Theodore was educated at Carlton and Wesley colleges before gaining his Matriculation Certificate at the University of Melbourne and subsequently gained employment as a clerk. ^[2] Aged 22, Theodore was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the 1st Battalion, 6th Australian Infantry Regiment.

He served in The Great War; commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Australian Imperial Force on 14th August 1914. ^[3] embarked on 19th October 1914 aboard HMAT A20 Hororata. ^[4] returned to Australia 1st April 1919. ^[5] He was an officer of the 6th Australian Infantry Battalion. The battalion was raised within a fortnight of the declaration of war in August 1914 and embarked just two months later as a unit of the 2nd Infantry Brigade. The battalion took part in the ANZAC landing on 25th April 1915, as part of the second wave. He was promoted |It was part of the Battle of Lone Pine and remained at Gallipoli until the evacuation in December. In March 1916, it sailed for France and the Western Front. From then until 1918 the battalion was heavily involved in operations against the German Army; including Pozieres in the Somme, Ypres, in Flanders, and Amiens. In March 1919 the battalion was so reduced with troops being rostered home to Australia that it and the 7th Battalion were amalgamated to form a composite battalion. This battalion subsequently merged with another, formed from the 5th and 8th Battalions, to form the 2nd Brigade Battalion.^[6] Theodore was appointed Companion of the Distinguished Service Order on 1st January 1917 ^[7] and Bar, 1st February 1919 ^[8] and Mentioned in Despatches on three occasions, gazetted in London: 4th January 1917,^[9] 28th Dcember 1917, ^[10] and 11th July 1919. ^[11] He also qualified for the 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.

On 30th June 1926, he married Ida Ferris in All Saints Church of England (now Anglican Church), St Kilda, Victoria. ^[12]

Around this time he moved into business as a butcher. He was later an office-holder in the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce.

On 26th September 1939, upon the declaration of war in 1939, Theodore was 'called up' to organise the security of Victoria. Being given a 'free hand' to develop as he saw fit (i.e., the hierarchy didn't really appreciate what was needed) within weeks he had organised a brigade of three Garrison Battalions. Upon their deployment about Victoria, he remained the commanding officer of the 12th Garrison Battalion at Broadmeadows. Job very well done, he retired from the army on 8th April 1945. ^[13] Theodore was awarded the Defence Medal and Australian Service Medal (1939-1945) and also awarded the Volunteer Officers Decoration (VD) for twenty years service as a militia officer.

With war finally behind him, Theodore worked at several clerical, accounting and managerial positions. He joined the Brunswick sub-branch of the Returned Sailors', Soldiers' and Airmen's Imperial League of Australia (now known as the RSL) in 1949.

He passed away, aged 75 years and two days, on 12th December 1963 at his home at Brunswick, Victoria. He was survived by his wife and son.

Sources

1. ↑ Victoria Birth Index #88/1889
2. ↑ Virtual War Memorial; accessed 7 Mar 2019
3. ↑ Application for a Commission; accessed 7 Mar 2019
4. ↑ AIF Project; accessed 7 Mar 2019
5. ↑ Australian War Memorial nominal roll: Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Frederick Ulrich; accessed 7 Mar 2019
6. ↑ Australian War Memorial unit record: 6th Australian Infantry Battalion; accessed 7 Mar 2019
7. ↑ Australian War Memorial Honours and Awards: Major Theodore Frederick Ulrich DSO; accesssed 7 Mar 2019
8. ↑ Australian War Memorial Honours and Awards: Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Frederick Ulrich DSO & Bar; accesssed 7 Mar 2019
9. ↑ Australian War Memorial Honours and Awards: Major Theodore Frederick Ulrich Mentioned in Despatches; on page 253 at position 35; accesssed 7 Mar 2019
10. ↑ Australian War Memorial Honours and Awards: Major Theodore Frederick Ulrich Mentioned in Despatches; on page 13566 at position 133; accesssed 7 Mar 2019
11. ↑ Australian War Memorial Honours and Awards: Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Frederick Ulrich Mentioned in Despatches; on page 8830 at position 12; accesssed 7 Mar 2019
12. ↑ Victoria Marriage Index #3536/1926
13. ↑ Australian War Memorial nominal roll: V80027 Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Friederick Ulrich; accessed 7 Mar 2019

See also

• Higgins, Matthew. 'Ulrich, Theodore Friederick (1888–1963)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 1990, accessed online 7 Mar 2019.
• Wikipedia: Theodore Friederick Ulrich; accessed 7 Mar 2019.