Belatedly Honouring Philip Hugh Boulton

Two years ago today, on the first official day of an English winter, I took the Piccadilly line to Alperton station on the north-western outskirts of London and then walked to Alperton's large cemetery.

Entrance to Alperton Cemetery
Photo by Louise Wilson 1 Dec 2017

I stepped inside, looked around and wondered how I could possibly find the grave I sought.

View of Alperton Cemetery from Entrance
Photo by Louise Wilson, 1 Dec 2017

In the distance I spotted a tall white cross marking what I hoped might be the military section of the cemetery. I walked across and found the area maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. In the stories passed down in our family since 1941 it has always been referred to as the Heroes Corner.

Heroes Corner, Alperton Cemetery
Photo by Louise Wilson, 1 Dec 2017

It was late afternoon and the air was chilly but the scene was evocatively calm and peaceful. The birds twittered gently as they found their place of rest for the night. For a moment I worried that I might be locked in with them, as I was the only visitor, far from the entrance gate and I'd forgotten to check the closing time for the cemetery.

Never mind, I'd come here to honour my mother's cousin Philip Hugh Boulton, who she always referred to as Pip. I quickly located his war grave, close to the cross.

Alperton Cemetery, Grave of P H Boulton in foreground
Photo by Louise Wilson 1 Dec 2017

I read the inscription on the slightly mossy headstone and placed a poppy.

P H Boulton Headstone, Alperton Cemetery
Photo by Louise Wilson, 1 Dec 2017

907098 SERGEANT

P H BOULTON

PILOT

ROYAL AIR FORCE

29th MAY 1941 AGE 26

TO LIVE IN THE HEARTS

OF THOSE WE LOVE

IS NOT TO DIE

His young English wife Eileen Sellars had chosen this place as the burial site for her Australian husband in 1941 but it's a long way from home for his Australian relatives. My visit proves that we haven't forgotten him.

Nor has the Australian War Memorial (AWM). Around the time of my visit to Alperton, I was unaware that a staff member of the AWM had submitted Pip's name for inclusion on its Commemorative Roll. Following research into his eligibility, his name was added to the Commemorative Roll in September 2019.

The AWM website states that the Commemorative Roll commemorates Australians who died during or as a result of service in wars, conflicts or operations identical with the Roll of Honour, but who are not members of the Australian armed forces. The Commemorative Roll is in the form of a Commemorative Book located in the Memorial’s Commemorative Area, the Commemorative Roll database, accessible through the Memorial’s website and the list of names on the Merchant Seaman's Memorial.

Our family was surprised and thrilled when I was informed of this development a few days ago. We are also delighted to hear that Pip's service will form a brief part of a forthcoming 30 minute talk at the AWM. The speaker will be Elise Horspool, Acting Assistant Curator, Honour Rolls, who says:

'Pip represents a large cross section of Australian society at the time; a family with generational service and an Australian who died serving in the Royal Air Force/Volunteer Reserve.

Along with Pip, I have chosen an Australian Philippine Army guerrilla, an Australian Commando serving with the British, an Australian Merchant Marine who survived the sinking of two of his ships (but not the third), an Australian Engineer who served with the Federated Malay States Volunteer Force and worked on the Thai-Burma Railway, two British brothers who made Australia their home but heard the call to return to the British Army and an Australian Painter who migrated to New Zealand. These stories represent different facets of our history and society over different wars and services.

However, they all have the same thing in common, they were Australian but served with other Allied forces. I think their stories are extraordinary and they are equal to those on the Roll of Honour.'

I plan to attend the public talk at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra at 12.30pm on 16 January 2020. You can read about Pip's life in more detail here. His brother Peter Boulton was also a WW2 pilot but he survived (just) and his life story is mentioned here. Likewise for their first cousin, Stephen Penn Dennis, the WW2 pilot son of Thea Boulton, part of whose story is here.

As acknowledged by the AWM, the Boultons also gave volunteer service to Australia in an earlier generation through Pip's father and uncle and his aunt Thea Boulton's husband Cleon Dennis. Their remarkably moving story is told in the book Brothers in Arms: The Great War Letters of Captain Nigel Boulton R.A.M.C. & Lieut Stephen Boulton, A.I.F. The book is available in Canberra at the AWM shop, in Melbourne at the Shrine of Remembrance or online via BookPOD or the usual major international sites such as Amazon and Book Depository.

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