Hugo Ludolff

Hugo Ludolff used the name Bert Leahy from around 1916 until his death in 1962. His stepmothers' name was Martha Leahy. His birth mother was Alice Pearce (nee Sullivan) born in Tasmania and his father was a German immigrant named Jean Max Ludolff (mostly known as Max Ludolff )..Hugo mustn't have officially changed his name to Bert Leahy as when he did eventually marry Lena Penney he used his true name of Hugo Ludolff. Even the Army records indicate they never found the birth certificate for Bert Leahy and he always said he had no next of kin. His life was full of secrets. Perhaps because the Army would not have enlisted the son of a German immigrant....or... Perhaps as he had enlisted as Bert Leahy he needed to keep using this name to receive support at times from Veterans Affairs. He suffered chronic bronchitis, otitis media , kidney stones and later developed heart problems. His time spent as a German prisoner of war in WW1 would have been horrific and even though he kept going on unauthorised leave from the Army , he still contributed to the war effort. He was a friend of Albert Wilson and that is how he met the woman who had his child . I can't reveal her name due to privacy reasons as she is still living.