"To Live in Our Hearts": The Herbert Luff story
Born in 1915, Herbie was in the Territorial Army and joined the 50th battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment, becoming a gunner (mortar) in July 1940. He had met his future wife, Ivy Irene May several years earlier when out cycling. He had mended a puncture for her; they started seeing each other but she did not want to rush into marriage. However, when the war started, they went ahead and got married.
Apart from being a keen cyclist, he also loved football and played for Aldwick Wednesday. They adopted the name Wednesday as that was when they were able to play. Herbie was a butcher and had time off on a Wednesday.
Herbie was based in the UK for his first two years of service and was able to get home following the birth of their daughter Margaret. He later had a photograph of her which he kept with him.
In May 1942, he was sent to the Middle East; he was there until January 1943, and then was sent on to Persia/Iran as part of the PAI Force. He remained in Persia/Iran for two years, moving on again in January 1945 to Italy.
In April 1945, there was a knock on the door at his home in Bognor. Ivy was busy and asked Margaret, now 4 years old, to answer the door. She was handed an envelope which she gave to her mother who was distraught at seeing it, which Margaret didn't understand. It was the telegram notifying them that he had been killed in action, in or near Faenza in Italy.
He was 29 years old. He is buried in the cemetery in Faenza with the inscription "To live in our hearts is not to die, Ivy and Margaret". The photographs he had carried with him were returned to Ivy with his personal effects.
Herbie and Ivy had been thinking about his return home. He had said he didn't want to go back to being a butcher; he was going to find another line of work.
