Albert (Bert) LUCK

LUCK, Albert

Service Number: SX3586
Enlisted: 25 May 1940, Wayville, South Australia
Last Rank: Lance Corporal
Last Unit: 2nd/27th Infantry Battalion
Born: Adelaide, South Australia, 11 May 1921
Home Town: Mount Barker, Adelaide Hills, South Australia
Schooling: Wistow Public School
Occupation: Dairy farmer
Died: Natural causes, South Australia, April 2011
Cemetery: Not yet discovered
Memorials:
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World War 2 Service

25 May 1940: Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Lance Corporal, SX3586, 2nd/27th Infantry Battalion
25 May 1940: Enlisted Private, SX3586, Wayville, South Australia
21 Oct 1940: Embarked Lance Corporal, SX3586, 2nd/27th Infantry Battalion
8 Jul 1941: Involvement Lance Corporal, SX3586, 2nd/27th Infantry Battalion, Syria - Operation Exporter
9 Jul 1941: Wounded Lance Corporal, SX3586, 2nd/27th Infantry Battalion, Syria - Operation Exporter, GSW (right thorax posterior)
30 Jan 1942: Embarked Lance Corporal, SX3586, 2nd/27th Infantry Battalion, Returned to Adelaide, Australia (arrived 24 Mar)
14 Aug 1942: Embarked Lance Corporal, SX3586, 2nd/27th Infantry Battalion, Arrived Port Moresby.
7 Sep 1942: Wounded Lance Corporal, SX3586, 2nd/27th Infantry Battalion, Kokoda - Papua, 2nd occasion - GSW (left leg)
26 Nov 1942: Involvement Lance Corporal, SX3586, 2nd/27th Infantry Battalion, Buna / Gona / Sanananda "The Battle of the Beachheads" - Papua
29 Nov 1942: Wounded Lance Corporal, SX3586, 2nd/27th Infantry Battalion, Kokoda - Papua, 3rd occasion - GSW (abdomen)
17 Dec 1942: Embarked Lance Corporal, SX3586, 2nd/27th Infantry Battalion, Returned to Australia by Hospital Ship. Remained in hospital until 7th September 1943
30 Nov 1943: Discharged Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Lance Corporal, SX3586, 2nd/27th Infantry Battalion
30 Nov 1943: Discharged Lance Corporal, SX3586, 2nd/27th Infantry Battalion

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Biography contributed by William Luck

Albert (Bert) Luck was the second son of Frederick William Benjamin Luck and was born on the 11th of May 1921. He grew up working on his Father's dairy farm in the Adelaide Hills. As one of five children, and like most who lived through the Depression of 1929 to 1939, he spent his childhood without the "luxuries" now taken for granted.

As a returned soldier who went to Gallipoli as a 19 year old, his Father was a stern man with little time for fun or recreational pursuits. By the age of 14, the boys were doing a man's work 7 days a week from daylight to dusk. Up at 4am to milk the cows before setting off to walk the 8klms to school at Wistow.

War broke out in 1939 and in April 1940, Bert's older brother Bill, who had turned 20 in September 1939, enlisted in the Army.

Although the minimum age for enlistment was 20, Bert was determined to join his brother. And so, just after his 19th birthday, Bert went to Adelaide with Bill to enlist. His Attestation Certificate shows his date of birth as a year earlier and his "Next Of Kin" as his brother Bill. not his Father.

Bert was placed with the 2nd/27th Battalion and trained at Woodside Army Camp until posted overseas. On 21st of October 1940, he set sail for Egypt via India and arrived there 24th November 1940 then moved to Palestine to complete his training. That same month, his brother Bill set sail for Tobruk. The boys did not see each other again until late in 1945.

On the 8th of June 1941, Germany invaded Syria and Lebanon.

Situated on the coast of Lebanon was the capital Damour, approximately 30 kilometres from Beirut . The Australians were defending against the German advance and had the high ground on the South bank of the Damour River, the last major obstacle before reaching Beirut.

Known as the Battle of Damour, it was a baptism under fire for Bert and his mates in "A" Company as the following War Diary extract reveals:

8th July " Increased enemy activity on Hil 560 made the position serious. C.O. promised further support to "B" Company and gave instruction that position to be held at all costs. Enemy reinforcements were on their way.

520hrs Battalion HQ transferred to the Western slopes of El Boum as a result of intensive shelling.

0700hrs "B" Coy and "D" Coy concentrated west of Hill 560 pinning down the enemy but unable to shift them. A platoon from "A" Coy sent in as further support and at 1440hrs the remainder of "A" Coy ordered into the attack.

The attack was made at 2000hrs and went on fiercely until 0100hrs the following day. At first light, artillery support was brought in and Hill 560 finally captured. "A" Coy immediately moved forward and occupied position.

The Hill was littered with enemy dead.

Sometime during the battle, Bert was shot in the upper right shoulder/neck. He was transferred to base hospital and stayed there until August 4th.

The Battle of Damour saved Beirut from invasion and ended the war in Syria/Lebanon.

The 2nd/27th stayed in Lebanon until January 1942. On the 30th, Bert left Egypt and sailed for home, arriving in Adelaide on the 24th of March 1942. He was granted home leave until 7th of April. On arrival home, he found that his Father had enlisted and was stationed interstate, whilst his brother Bill had been captured and was now a POW somewhere in Italy.

The 14th of August saw Bert landing in Port Moresby New Guinea as 3000 Japanese landed in Buna on the north coast. This force soon built to 5000. Its intention to trek overland and take Port Moresby.

The only route through the Owen Stanley Ranges was the Kokoda Track which ran from just outside Port Moresby to Kokoda and then the sea. Roughly 100klms of the most rugged and isolated terrain in the World it is passable only by foot. Reaching 2250Mtrs it combines hot humid days with intensley cold nights. Torrential rain, tropical diseases like malaria and scrub typhus endemic.

On the 29th of August 1942 the 2nd/27th left Port Moresby and advanced up the Track. They marched for 7 days carrying 25kg backpacks and weapons over wet,muddy,mountainous ground to rendezvous with the 39th Battalion at Efogi near Mission Ridge.

On arrival, and without time to rest, they were ordered to take up defensive positions to cover the withdrawal of the 39th. 

Together with the 2/14th ans 2/16th, they waited for the Japanese advance.

The Battle of Brigade Hill Mission Ridge ensued. The Aussies were out numbered 6 to 1. War Diary notes from 2/27th:

7th Sept. 10.15 "A" Coy report patrol moving around right flank.

11.00 Fighting patrol sent out by "A" Coy to contact Japanese.

15.40 2/14th Ops report large number of enemy moving up the main track towards position.

1700 "A" Coy patrol returns. 6 enemy killed without loss. Water short.

1730 Japanese open up on "A" Coy. 2 killed, 5 wounded

0430 Enemy attacks strongly along pathway and on "A" Coy front. "A" Coy replies with intense fire and hand grenades. Enemy strength increasing.

0730 All communications cut with Brigade HQ.

Sometime during that day and night of the 7th, Bert was shot in the left leg. His Battalion was cut off.

By 1300 on the 8th, the enemy were occupying the Track and the ridge between the troops and Brigade HQ. They had no choice but to attack to clear the track again. This came at a high cost, but finally they were able to make a retreat from overwhelming Japanese soldiers.

War Diary 8th Sept.

" there was no chance of receiving much needed supplies; food problem was fast becoming serious; water supply limited; ammunition dangerously short."

Cut - off and in danger of being over run, the soldiers were ordered to "go bush" and find their own way to the village of Menari. Six volunteers from the 2/27th were left behind to act as a rear guard. The six men charged at the Japanese firing their guns and throwing hand grenades. Thanks to this extraordinary action, their comrades were able to carry the wounded, with great difficulty, to safety.

" Those wounded, were never left behind. Japanese patrols routinely mutilated and executed any wounded found. They did not take prisoners."

The Track was a sea of mud. Each stretcher required 8 bearers and those that could stagger or crawl did so. Relentlessly pursued, the 2/27th did not rejoin the rest until two weeks later, after a difficult trek across the mountains.

Bert somehow made it, and, after a month in hospital, rejoined his Unit on the 7th of October 1942.

During October/November, most of the troops who had been sick or wounded returned to the Unit and prepared once again to confront the Japanes who were now retreating.

The Australians advanced back along the Track.

The Japanese that made it to the coast, set up beach defenses and were reinforced by soldiers from Rabaul. A total of 6000 waited at Buna and Gona for the Aussies.

On the 26th of November, the 2nd/27th moved by air to Popendetta as part of the 21st Brigade,which had a total contingent of 874 men.

As part of "A" Coy. 7th Platoon under Captain Sims, Bert commenced march towards Gona.

The Battle of Buna Gona  

Gona was at the end of the Kokda Track which came down to the coast through thick jungle, fetid swamps and 2metre high kunai grass in which temperatures reached 50C.

Along the beach, the Japanese had built hundreds of coconut log bunkers. Some were protected with steel beams and 44 gallon drums filled with sand. The bunkers were well camouflaged and set up in such a way they could generate devastating fields of fire supported by snipers hidden in the tall trees.

The Australians were much depleted and suffering the effects of 3 months of continuous fighting on the Track. Their maps were inaccurate and they had no knowledge of the Japanese defenses. Without artillery support, the Aussies had to take the bunkers one by one. This required troops crawling through swampy ground taking murderous cross - fire to push grenades through the bunker slits. The first assault by the 2/31st, gained 50 metres and resulted in 14 killed, 45 wounded and 8 missing.

The Japanese had been instructed to fight to the death.

They were well supplied by their main base in Rabaul and had naval ships off the coast to hospitalize the wounded. The Australians relied on air drops for food, ammunition and medicine. The nearest hospital was back in Port Moresby.

On the 28th of November the 21st Brigade attacked Gona.

The 2/14th made the first contact. It was insanity to hurl themselves at the well entrenched Japanese, but they had been given orders. Pushing forward through 200metres of turtuously slow waist deep swamp, the enemy watched them and waited until they were sitting ducks. From their hidden bunkers, they unleashed a murderous volley of fire and those that survived were picked off by the snipers. The 2/27th were ordered to take their place.

War Diary extract 29th November

0900 2/27th will takeover 2/14th role of advancing on Gona from the east...

1000 Advance commences

1100 Forward advance C Coy. on the left A Coy. on the right.

1215 Forward Coys. reach beach. No opposition.

1220 Forward Coys. under heavy fire after advancing 100metres along the coconut fringe. Casualties approx. 20.

1225 A Coy. pinned down by heavy fire.

1300 A & C Coys. advise impossible to move forward. Enemy fire from village and beach.

1315 Artillery support requested. A & C Coy make further slight progress. Casualties 10.

1330 A & C Coy. ordered to try to make ground a few men at a time. Slightest movement brings down heavy machine gun fire. More casualties 5.

1500 C Coy. seek permission to attack strong enemy post on edge of beach in front of A Coy. Distance approx. 75 metres. A Coy. to give supporting fire.

1530 C Coy. attack. Meet severe machine gun fire and rifle fire; suffer severe casualties, 15. Reach objective but unable to hold owing to losses. Withdraw. Casualties  ?

1600 Great difficulty experienced in evacuating wounded. Commanding officer decides to discontinue any further atempts to advance this day.

1800 Evacuation of wounded using native bearers continues.

On this day, the 2/27th lost 22 men and another 33 wounded.

Somewhere amongst the wounded lay Bert Luck with a life threatening gun shot wound to the abdomen. When they got to him, maggots had already infested the wound.

On the 30th of November, Bert was evacuated to the Army Hospital. He was seriously ill.

The Battle of Gona was a defining moment for Australia in the defense of our Country. The Japenese were not leaving New Guinea without a fight, in fact, every Japanese soldier holed up in beachside bunkers had to be killied one by one. They were so well entrenched that the attacks resulted in very heavy casualties. As a percentage, the heaviest toll of killed or wounded in the Pacific.

After 17 days in the Army Hospital, Bert was evacuated by Hospital ship to Australia. He arrived back on 22nd of December 1942.

On the 2nd of January 1943, he travelled by ambulance train to 103 Australian General Hospital in Baulkham Hills Victoria.

On the 19th of January, he was transferred to 101 Australian General Hospital in Northfield Adelade where he was interned until the 7th of September 1943, when he was granted leave, although only medically fit to carry out duties which required restricted medical fitness.

The Army finally discharged him on 3oth November 1943, one year after being shot for the third time. He was deemed medically unfit for service.

It is hard to believe, but Bert Luck was still only 22 years old.

He returned home to find  his Mother and two sisters running the farm alone. His Father had been posted to Port Moresby and did not return until December 1944. His older brother Bill  was a P.O.W. and did not return until 1945. His younger brother Ken, now 20, had enlisted and did not return until 1946.

Somehow, the family and all it members survived. I guess having the surname Luck may have had something to do with it. It certainly did in Bert's case. 

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