He gained promotion to lieutenant in September 1906, before gaining the temporary rank of captain while seconded as an adjutant in the Territorial Force in November 1912. Hulton served with the Royal Sussex Regiment in the First World War. In the first year of the conflict he gained the full rank of captain in November 1914. He later served in the Gallipoli campaign, seeing action during the Landing at Suvla Bay in August 1915 and the subsequent Battle of Scimitar Hill on 21 August with the 1/4 Royal Sussex Regiment, where he testified to confusion in the midst of the battle and the retreating wounded soldiers of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers. By July 1916, he was seconded to headquarters as a brigade-major, but had returned to the Royal Sussex Regiment by January 1917, when he was promoted to major. Two months later he was appointed to the general staff, with secondment to the Welch Regiment following later in 1917. He was appointed to the temporary rank of lieutenant colonel in September 1917 while commanding a battalion, but relinquished the rank in November 1917 upon him ceasing to be in command of a battalion. His relinquishment was shortlived, as the following month he was reinserted into the temporary rank while once again commanding a battalion. Hulton was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in the 1918 Birthday Honours for valuable services rendered in connection with military operations in Egypt, in addition to being decorated by Egypt with the Order of the Nile, 3rd Class.