ANZAC Day 2018 - Remembering Cliff and Kel Lutge's service in the First World War

Anzac Day goes beyond the anniversary of the landing on Gallipoli in 1915. It is the day on which we remember all Australians who served and died in war and on operational service past and present. The spirit of Anzac, with its qualities of courage, mateship, and sacrifice, continues to have meaning and relevance for our sense of national identity.

Clifford John Stanley Lutge enlisted on 12 July 1915 in the 30 Battalion, C Company of the Australian Imperial Force.  We know him as Cliff but he's recorded as John in his military records and his age at enlistment is shown as 22 years and 8 months but he was 2 years younger.  His occupation at the time of enlistment is recorded as grocer.

His unit embarked from Sydney on board HMAT A72 Beltana on 9 November 1915.  Cliff arrived in Suez on 11 December 1915.  Within a month he was admitted to hospital suffering from varicose veins.  Cliff saw little active service.  He retuned to Australia on 3 March 1916 due to his "invalidity".   Cliff was discharged for the army on 18 August 1916.

Kelvin Walter Lutge enlisted on 17 May 1916.  His enlistment paper show his age as 18 years and 5 months but he was a year younger.  He occupation is also shown as a grocer.

Kel was in the 1st Battalion, 21st Reinforcement of the Australian Imperial Force.  The unit disembarked from Sydney on board the HMAT A40 Ceramic on 7 October 1916.  They arrived in Plymouth on 21 November 1916 and proceeded to France on 4 February 1917.  Kel was wounded in action on 4 October 1917 with a gun shot wound to his left arm and thigh.  He was taken to hospital in England where he remained for the next six months.

While Kel returned to France, he saw very little action after that date and was back in England by August 1918 suffering from diphtheria.  He remained in England until his returned to Australia on 31 May 1919.

A few days prior to his arrival in Australia, Kel's mother wrote the following letter asking about his well being.  I'm sure that Matilda and John Henry were delighted to have their two sons home safely from the horrors of the First World War.  Kel walked with a limp for the rest of his life as a result of being wounded in France.

The two photos included in this post are from those held by Mosman RSL which are displayed in two enormous frames on a semi-regular basis at Mosman Library.  While we have many photos of Kel, this is the only photo that we have of Cliff.  We're always looking for others......