Luff, Thomas

3756 Sergeant Thomas Luff - 3rd Machine Gun Battalion

Thomas Luff was born in Mardella WA in 1890 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 Thomas there was, Harriet (1880), Mary (1881), Ellen (1884), Sarah (1886), Ader (1888), Elizabeth (1892), John (1894), Frank (1897), Alfred (1900) and George (1902).

The family lived in Rueben Street Beaconsfield. Thomas was educated locally and after leaving school he took up work as a Horse Driver. He had also served in the Citizens Military Forces with the 18th Light Horse Regiment.

In 1915 Thomas married Winifred Sullivan in Fremantle and a son Ronald Thomas Luff was born in 1915 and they moved to Hampton Road Fremantle.

On the 12th March 1916, Thomas enlisted into the AIF. He was accepted as fit for service with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as; 

Height - 5 feet 3 & 1/2 inches tall;

Weight - 125lbs;

Chest Measurement - 32-34 inches;

Complexion - Fresh;

Eyes - Grey;

Hair - Light Brown.

After his successful enlistment, Tom was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he went into the infantry training depot. On the 4th April 1916 he was assigned to the 3rd Reinforcements to the 51st Battalion. He trained with this group for the next few months but then was transferred to a school for Non Commissioned Officers. 

This meant a further stay in WA, which meant with a new baby born in 1915, Tom was able to spend more time at home. He was promoted to Corporal and in June 1916 was assigned to the 20th Reinforcements to the 16th Battalion.

In October 1916 Tom was transferred to the staff of Rockingham Camp and remained there until the 19th January 1917. He was then transferred to Karrakatta Camp.

On the 27th February 1917 Tom was assigned to the 8th Reinforcements to the 44th Battalion but only a few days later was transferred to the 10th Reinforcements to the 51st Battalion. He was also promoted to Sergeant.

On the 29th June 1917 Sergeant Thomas Luff and his reinforcement group boarded their transport ship HMAT Borda in Fremantle Harbour and set sail for England, arriving at Plymouth on the 25th August 1917.

After arriving in England, Tom and his group were marched into the 12th Training Battalion at Codford Camp on the Salisbury Plains. Tom remained in England for the next few months but on the 18th December 1917 he was put in a draft of men headed to France.

After a few days in the Australian Infantry Base Depot at Rouelles, Tom was taken on strength of the 44th Battalion on the 24th December 1917. He spent the next three months with the 44th Battalion but on 20th April 1918 he was officially taken on strength of the 3rd Machine Gun Battalion.

He served with this unit for the rest of the war. On the 30th October 1918 Tom suffered a Hernia and was evacuated back to Hospital in England. He was at Birmingham War Hospital when the Armistice was announced on the 11th November 1918.

The following day he was transferred to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield and was then given a period of furlough. On the 3rd March 1919 Tom boarded the transport ship Euripides and set sail for home, arriving in Fremantle on the 21st April 1919. Tom was then discharged from the AIF on the 12th May 1919.

After his return home Tom resumed his work as a horse drive

Due to his work Tom moved around a bit in the WA Countryside in the 1920's, working at Bolgart, Geraldton and Lake Grace.

Thomas died in 1972 aged 82. He was buried at Karrakatta Cemetery plot Roman Catholic PA 0192