Name/Title
1925 / 2026 - REDEDICATION OF PONTNEWYDD WAR MEMORIAL, Wales UK - including the name of 931591 Private William Arthur Luff, 87th Battalion (CGG) CEF - KIA April 23, 1918Scope and Content
*** FOR ARCHIVE PURPOSES ONLY***
1925 / 2026 - REDEDICATION OF PONTNEWYDD WAR MEMORIAL, Wales UK - including the name of 931591 Private William Arthur Luff, 87th Battalion (CGG) CEF - KIA April 23, 1918
In 1925, the village of Pontnewydd gathered to unveil a tribute to its lost sons. Now, 100 years later, we invite you to be part of a historic milestone as we celebrate the memorial’s own journey and the lives it protects. On May 23rd, 2026, the Pontnewydd Royal British Legion hosted a special event to breathe life into the names inscribed in granite. This is a moment of deep gratitude and community resolved to ensure these men are known as more than just cold letters, but as individuals who once walked our streets and worked in our local industries.
Event Details
Date: May 23rd, 2026
Purpose: To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the memorial's dedication
Focus: Moving beyond ranks and serial numbers to share the human stories and biographies of the fallen
ABOUT THE CGG SOLDIER
931591 Private William Arthur Luff
87th Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force
This is the story of William Arthur Luff—a tale that stretches from the coal valleys of South Wales to the mountains of British Columbia, and finally to the quiet fields of France. It is a remembrance of a man who crossed an ocean to build a new life, only to cross it back again to fight for the old one.
William was born on November 16, 1893, in Cardiff, Wales. Like many young men of his generation, he sought opportunity beyond the British Isles. By 1916, he had found his way to Nelson, British Columbia, a rugged town in the West Kootenay region known for its mining and railways. There, he worked as an "Electrical Crane Operator," a skilled trade in a rapidly industrializing province.
Though he was building a life in Canada, his heart remained tied to Wales. He had a wife, May Luff, waiting for him back home in Pontnewydd, Monmouthshire. The war, however, would interrupt any plans for a reunion in the Rockies.
On June 10, 1916, at the age of 23, William walked into the recruiting office in Nelson and signed his attestation papers for the Canadian Expeditionary Force. He was assigned to the 225th Battalion (Kootenay), a unit raised in the B.C. interior. Standing 5 feet 6 inches with hazel eyes and brown hair, he was deemed fit for overseas service.
William showed early promise as a soldier. While training in Canada, he was promoted to Corporal in August 1916 and then to Sergeant in September. However, the urgent need for reinforcements on the Western Front often required men to give up their stripes. Upon arriving in England in early 1917, William reverted to the rank of Private to ensure a quicker transfer to a fighting unit.
William arrived in England aboard the S.S. Grampian in February 1917. For a brief time, he was closer to home than he had been in years. His service records show his next-of-kin address as "Camelot," Caerau Road, Newport, and later Pontnewydd, allowing him a precious connection to his wife May during his leave periods.
In May 1917, he was sent to France, initially destined for the 54th Battalion. However, by August 1917, he was transferred to the 87th Battalion, also known as the Canadian Grenadier Guards. This Montreal-based unit was unique; they were linked to the famous Grenadier Guards of the British Army and were known for their discipline and prowess in trench raids.
William joined the 87th Battalion just as the Canadian Corps was preparing for the horrors of Passchendaele. The autumn of 1917 was defined by mud, rain, and relentless shelling. On November 16, 1917—his 24th birthday—William was wounded in action, suffering a gunshot wound to his left shoulder.
He was evacuated to No. 18 General Hospital in Camiers and later to a convalescent depot in Trouville. It was a "blighty" wound, severe enough to take him out of the line but not fatal. He spent the winter of 1917-18 recovering, rejoining his unit in the field on January 22, 1918.
By April 1918, the war had entered a critical phase. The German Army had launched their massive "Spring Offensive," attempting to break the Allied lines before American troops could arrive in force. The Canadian Corps, including the 87th Battalion, was holding the vital ground near Vimy Ridge and Lens. While the heaviest fighting raged to the south and north, the Canadian sector was far from quiet. It was subjected to intense shelling, gas attacks, and trench raids as the enemy tried to pin them down.
On April 23, 1918, the battalion was in the line near the Souchez Valley. The War Diaries for this period describe a tense atmosphere of "active defence," with constant harassing fire from German artillery. It was on this day, likely due to enemy shelling or sniper fire while holding the line, that Private William Arthur Luff was Killed in Action age 24.
News of his death devastated May Luff in Pontnewydd. She received a Memorial Cross and, later, his British War Medal and Victory Medal. In his will, drafted in his pay book, William had left everything to her, listing her address simply as "Pontnewydd, Mon, Wales".
Today, William is not just a name on a list. He lies in Sucrerie Cemetery, Ablain-St. Nazaire (Grave IV. A. 14), located at the foot of the Loretto Heights in France. The cemetery was used by field ambulances and fighting units holding the front near Lens and Vimy.
His journey ended far from the mountains of B.C. where he enlisted, but he rests near the land of his birth, forever remembered as one of the many who gave their tomorrow for our today.
Archival Sources:
Service Record: Luff, William Arthur, Regimental No. 931591. Library and Archives Canada.
Casualty Record: Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), Grave Reference IV. A. 14.
Battalion History: 87th Battalion (Canadian Grenadier Guards) Historical records and War Diaries, April 1918.
Local Connection: Veterans Affairs Canada & Lives of the First World War.
https://www.cwgc.org/visit-us/find-cemeteries-memorials/cemetery-details/62200/sucrerie-cemetery-ablain-st-nazaire/Created By
Lieutenant Michael Hayes-Rivet, retired.Create Date
September 30, 2026Updated By
Lieutenant Michael Hayes-Rivet, retired.Update Date
September 30, 2026
