Theodore Friederick Ulrich, (10 December 1888 – 12 December 1963) was an Australian officer in the First Australian Imperial Force during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. Born in Ararat, Victoria to a family of German ancestry, he spent his childhood in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

and early adult life employed as a clerk for a firm under the ownership of Sir Charles Wellington Connibere. In 1911 he enlisted in the Citizens Military Force, serving in the 1st Battalion of the 6th Australian Infantry Regiment until 1912 when he transferred to the East Melbourne Regiment. Ulrich was shipped out to Egypt as a lieutenant in October 1914. In April 1915 he landed at

Gallipoli The Gallipoli peninsula (; tr, Gelibolu Yarımadası; grc, Χερσόνησος της Καλλίπολης, ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles ...

and was promoted to captain two days later. He succumbed to illness in November and was evacuated, recuperating until February 1916 whereupon he deployed in France as a major, and shortly after a brigade major. He was awarded the

Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typ ...

during the

Battle of the Somme The Battle of the Somme ( French: Bataille de la Somme), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place bet ...

as well as being

mentioned in dispatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...

. He took command of a battalion in July 1917, and was wounded at the

Battle of Ypres The Battle of Ypres was a series of engagements during the First World War, near the Belgian city of Ypres, between the German and the Allied armies (Belgian, French, British Expeditionary Force and Canadian Expeditionary Force). During the five ...

in October that year but needed only a few days to recuperate. In April 1918 his assumed command as a temporary lieutenant colonel after his superior officer was killed. He led his command at the

Battle of Lihons The Hundred Days Offensive (8 August to 11 November 1918) was a series of massive Allied offensives that ended the First World War. Beginning with the Battle of Amiens (8–12 August) on the Western Front, the Allies pushed the Central Powers b ...

and the Battle of Herleville Wood where he received a Bar to his Distinguished Service Order, and was twice more mentioned in dispatches. Ulrich was returned to Australia in 1919 and placed in command of militia units. He moved into business as a butcher and was married. He remained in civilian life until the outbreak of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

where he was given command of an Australian-based garrison until 1945 when he retired once more to business.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ulrich, Theodore Friederick 1888 births 1963 deaths Australian Army officers Australian military personnel of World War I Australian military personnel of World War II Australian people of German descent Australian Companions of the Distinguished Service Order People from Ararat, Victoria 20th-century Australian businesspeople