Battledress blouse : Colonel V G Bulteau, Royal Australian Army Medical Corps

Khaki wool twill Australian Army battledress blouse with two pleated patch breast pockets. The blouse is fastened down the centre by five concealed brown plastic buttons, and the belted waist is gathered and fastened by a blackened steel buckle on the proper right side. The collar has dull cherry red medical staff officer's gorgets attached, with gold anodised staff officers' buttons. There are concealed brown plastic buttons fastening the cuffs of the sleeves and the flaps of the pockets. Shoulder straps are secured by brown plastic buttons and bear embroidered rank insignia, on a dull cherry felt ground, for a colonel. Below the shoulder strap on each sleeve is the machine embroidered title, in white thread on a dull cherry background with a white border, reading 'ROYAL AUSTRALIAN ARMY MEDICAL CORPS'. The inside of the collar, cuffs, waist and placket are lined with khaki cotton drill. The same fabric forms two large internal pockets on each side of the front. The fabric lining the rear waistband has three button holes for attachment to the battledress trousers. Above the right hand pocket are two rows of medal ribbons, representing: 1939-45 Star, Africa Star with 8th Army numeral '8', Pacific Star, Defence Medal, British War Medal 1939-45 and Australia Service Medal. A manufacturer's label sewn inside the right front reads 'ESQUIRE Pty. Ltd. 1950'.

Associated with the service of 2148041 Colonel Volney Gordon Bulteau, born 17 December 1915 in Sydney, NSW. Bulteau was educated at Sydney Grammar School and joined the junior cadet corps in 1931. After leaving school he studied medicine at Sydney University. In 1933 he joined the Sydney University Regiment where he reached the rank of sergeant. Upon graduating in 1938 Bulteau became a resident at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and joined the Australian Army Medical Corps where he was commissioned as captain medical officer with the 14th Field Ambulance. On 22 May 1940 he volunteered for service in the Second World War and was appointed regimental medical officer to 2/2 Machine Gun Battalion. The unit embarked for the Middle East in December. In 1942 Bulteau was promoted to major and transferred to 2/11 Field Ambulance where he was responsible for the 20th Brigade's main dressing station at Tripoli. He later transferred to 2/8 Field Ambulance and was appointed commanding officer of B Company. He served at El Alamein where he established the brigade's advanced dressing station for the Allied offensive in October. Bulteau was awarded the Commander-in-Chief's Award for Gallantry for his service in the El Alamein campaign. The unit returned to Palestine and then to Australia in January 1943 where they undertook jungle training on the Atherton Tablelands in Queensland. In August 1943 Bulteau embarked for New Guinea where he was involved in the Huon Peninsular and Finschhafen campaigns. At the end of 1943 Bulteau transferred to 2/1 Australian General Hospital at Port Moresby and received training in diseases of the ear, nose and throat (ENT). In 1945 he was appointed to 113 Australian General Hospital at Concord, Sydney, and later as ENT specialist to 2/6 Australian General Hospital at Morotai and Labuan in British North Borneo where he treated many recently released prisoners of war. At the end of the war Bulteau returned to Australia and was discharged on 15 January 1946 but remained on the Reserve Officers List. After completing a graduate diploma in otolaryngology he rejoined the staff at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and later became head of the ENT department. In 1962 he was appointed Eastern Command Area HQ Colonel Consultant in ENT, a position which he held for 12 years. He was awarded the Efficiency Decoration on 6 May 1975, and in 1980 was appointed Honorary Representative Colonel of the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps. Colonel Bulteau died on 31 May 2006.