Vale Doris Boulton, nee Brentnall

I would like to say farewell to a lady who is the end of a generation. My Great Aunty Doris, who died on Sunday morning. She and I shared something in common, our birthday, which to some is nothing, but it meant much to me. Here follows a little of her life story.

Doris Brentnall was born at North Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, on Saturday 16.12.1916. The fourth child to William Walter Aldred Brentnall & Epsie Jean Linsell. Doris had 2 brothers, William & Leslie, and 3 sisters, Amy, Jean & Thelma.

The family lived on the Experimental Farm, eight miles from Wagga Wagga. The home didn't have gas, electricity or water. She went to Pine Gully School, and later to the Wagga Wagga High School.

Doris joined the Air Force, WAAAF on 30.12.1943 as a Nursing Orderly, training at Bradfield Park AAAF, working hard and topping the class! At completion of her training she was posted to Jervis Bay, Rehabilitation Hospital. Whilst working there she met Peter Boulton, a Flight Lieutenant Officer, who was recovering from a broken knee, which happened in Cairo. On his discharge was transferred to Ferry Flight. He was taking a Mustang from Sydney to Townsville, on 5th August 1945, which he crashed on landing. He was seen by a doctor & left for dead; the doctor gave him half an hour to live. Townsville & the house doctor operated on him & he lived to tell all. He had a double fracture of the skull, both ears nearly cut off, haemorrhage of the eyes, broken jaw, & had his teeth wired together for a month.

Doris was nursing in the Officers Ward at Concord Hospital when Peter came back, his head all shaved & all his beautiful curls all gone. Many years after the war Peter & Doris were at the Imperial Service's Ball at the Trocadero, they were on the floor dancing, when an Officer came up to Peter & said, "Excuse me, but are you Peter Boulton?" Peter said, "Yes". He said "Good God, Good God, I left you for dead." He couldn't get over it & stared at him all night.

After the war ended Peter was discharged from the RAAF, but Doris couldn't get out, as so many men were coming home injured & they needed the nurses to stay on. Doris and Peter were married on 2.4.1947 at St Phillips Church of England, Church Hill, Sydney. After their Surfers Paradise Honeymoon, they returned to Sydney and lived in Chatswood. From there we moved to Manly to Peter's mothers unit, Strathspey Unit No.5, 88 West Esplanade, Manly. It was on the harbour front, and looked down on Marineland, Manly Historical Society & Manly Art Gallery. It was a 2 storey home converted to nine units. It was a Victorian building over 130 years old. Walls 1 foot thick, with 14 toot high ceilings.

Doris worked at David Jones for 25 years and became an Assistant Buyer retiring in 1980.Peter left work in 1985; they had a trip to Cairns in 1988, and went to the "World Expo" in Brisbane in 1988.

Peter was suffering from Alzheimer's. He went into Manly Vale Nursing Home & was only there for 2 weeks when he had a heart attack & died on 29.3.1995. Doris stayed at Strathspey, in Manly until 1998 when the 35 steps became too much for her. She sold the unit and went into Drummond House, a Hostel in Wentworth Street, Manly on 6th April, 1998.

Due to ill health and a decrease in mobility Doris moved to Bayview Gardens Nursing Home on 5th November 2007. She gradually settled in and got used to her new home. Doris & Peter had no children. Being the last of her family to survive did not sit well with her. She passed away on Sunday 12^th October 2008, aged almost 92.