Luff, John

650 Gunner John Luff - 36th Heavy Artillery Group

John Luff was born in Serpentine WA on the 22nd November 1894 to Thomas and Caroline Luff. He was one of eleven children, the eldest having been born in Serpentine and the youngest in Fremantle. As well as John there was, Harriet (1880), Mary (1881), Ellen (1884), Sarah (1886), Ader (1888), Thomas (1890), Elizabeth (1892), Frank (1897), Alfred (1900) and George (1902).

The family lived in Rueben Street Beaconsfield and John was educated locally. After leaving school he took up work as Salesman and during this time was also serving in the 11th Garrison Artillery based out of the Artillery Barracks Fremantle.

Since the outbreak of the Great War John had been helping man the guns around Fremantle Harbour including at South Mole and Fort Forrest. However on the 17th December 1915 he enlisted into the AIF.

As he was classified as a Permanent Gunner of the Australian Military Forces, John would form part of the Australian Siege Brigade.

The medical examiner who passed John as fit for service recorded his physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 8 inches tall;

Weight - 135lbs;

Chest Measurement - 38 & 1/2 inches;

Complexion - Dark;

Eyes - Grey;

Hair - Brown;

Distinctive Marks - Linear scar on forehead to the right of the nose;

John was put into the reinforcements for the 36th Heavy Artillery Group and went to New South Wales to complete his training. On the 9th April 1916 John and his reinforcement group departed from Sydney aboard the transport ship Nestor. The ship arrived in England after a long sea voyage on the 5th June 1916.

In the photo below from the Sydney Herald, John is pictured back row on left

John and his group were then sent to Stowlangtoft Artillery camp. He remained in England training for over a year and it wasn't until the 21st July 1917 that he joined the 55th Siege Battery of the 36th Heavy Artillery Group.

John had joined them just in time for the opening of the Third Battle of Ypres which commenced on the 31st July 1917. The 36th Heavy Artillery Group were very active for the next few months while they supported the infantry offensive. However the Germans fired back at these guns with their own artillery fire. 

On the 14th October 1917 John was wounded when the Germans fired a barrage at his guns. John was evacuated to hospital in France and then to England. He recovered well and rejoined his unit on the 19th April 1918.

John saw out the war safely and returned to England in early 1919.

In France on the 22nd March 1919 John married Jeanne Delannoy at Tourcoing France.

On the 21st June 1919 John boarded the transport ship Kongin Louise and set sail for home, returning to Fremantle on the 3rd August 1919. Jeanne soon joined him in WA and in 1920 they had their first son, Jack Alfred Luff born in 1920.

John Luff died on the 27th August 1970 aged 75, Jeanne followed him in 1981 aged 88.