We regret to advise of the death of Corporal Ken Poulton, CD (Ret’d) of Richards Landing ON, on 14 July at the age of 61 years.
Ken was born in Sault Ste. Marie ON and enlisted in the Canadian Forces in 1983. After graduating from recruit training in Canadian Forces Base Cornwallis NS, he was posted to 2 Combat Engineer Regiment at CFB Petawawa ON to await his basic sapper course at the Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering at CFB Chilliwack BC. He joined Course Serial 8401 in January of the following year and graduated as the Top Student.
Sapper Poulton returned to 2 CER with the Airborne Troop and started his summer of airborne training at CFB Petawawa and at the Jump School in CFB Edmonton. After completing these courses, he became a full-fledged member of the Canadian Airborne Regiment. Ken attended Jungle, Desert and Arctic Warfare courses and many types of Commando training, including Unarmed Combat and Long Range Patrolling. He also took part in RV 85 in Wainwright AB.
Ken was posted to 4 CER in 1986 for a 4-year posting. During this tour, he took part in the Nijmegen Marches in 1987. He returned to Canada to Training Support Troop at CFB Chilliwack. Here, he attained both the Explosive Ordnance Disposal-Basic qualification and the EOD-Improvised Explosive Device course. He was a member of the EOD team until his posting to 1 CER in Chilliwack in 1993.
During his first three years with 1 CER, Ken was in a Field Troop and with Resources Troop. He then took the Field Engineer Equipment Operator course and was assigned to the Heavy Equipment Troop. Ken deployed on Op KINETIC Roto 0 in 1999, the first NATO Mission to Kosovo. After his tour in Kosovo, Cpl Poulton qualified on the Grader.
Ken was posted to CFB Suffield in 2003 after his 7-year tour with 1 CER. He was employed in the G3 Range Control’s Range Maintenance Troop primarily as a Heavy Equipment Operator.
Ken retired from the Canadian Forces in 2009 after almost 26 years of service. He returned to the Poulton homestead on St Joseph’s Island ON. He served as the Veterans’ Services Officer at Legion Branch 374 St. Joseph Island after he retired.
Funeral details will be published as soon as they are available.
