CLUFF, George Newman

DIVISIONAL UNIT:        3rd Canadian Infantry Division
                                             3rd Division Supply Column
                                             8th Infantry Brigade
                                             3rd Supply Company
                                             Canadian Army Service Corps
SERVICE NO:                   512276
RESIDENCE:                    Clinton – Ontario 
DATE OF BIRTH:            July 10, 1895
                                             Goderich – Goderich Township – County of Huron - Ontario
DATE OF DEATH:           October 2, 1916                   21 years     2 months    
CEMETERY:                     Puchevillers British Cemetery – Puchevillers –
                                             Somme – France
                                             V     C     12
PARENTS:                         Mr. David and Agnes Cluff – Clinton – Ontario.
Occupation:                        Chauffeur                             Religion:     Methodist
Enlistment:                         Toronto – February 29, 1916 into Divisional Supply Column
Enlistment Age:                 20 years     7 months

Private Cluff left Canadian soil and once he was in England he transferred to the Canadian Army Service Corps on 
May 8, 1916. He then went overseas and and disembarked at Rourn on June 17, 1916.
He transferred to the 3rd Canadian Divisional Supply Column on June 24, 1916 and left for his unit the same day. 
The 3rd Canadian Divisional Supply Column then took him on Strength on June 27, 1916.
He was part of the Motor Transport Division.
The Divisional Train was the second line transport for the Division. The actual train that carried the supplies from the ports to the railhead was the first line transport. Mechanical Transport was used to carry food, ammunition, guns, men, supplies, equipment and all manner of necessary goods to the Horse Transport which was the third line of transport to the forward areas. There were two colums of Transport from the railhead with one for ammunition and one for everything else. These colums moved daily from the railhead to the Horse Transport Depots.
His file states that on October 2, 1916 he received a gunshot wound. This was stated on the Casualty Report.
However, another part of his file states he died on pneumonia on October 2, 1916 and on this card him being wounded happens to be stroked out.
Private Cluff was a patient at No. 3 British Casualty Clearing Station – Puchevillers where he died of pneumonia on October 2, 1916.
It could be that Private Cluff did receive wounds and while being tended to contacted pneumonia which took his life. However, it would have had to be much earlier than October 2, 1916 because pneumonia could not have taken hold of him on the same day he was wounded.
His file is very confusing and in addition the war diaries of the 3rd Canadian Division Supply Column and the 3rd Canadian Division Ammunition Sub-Park do not show any casualties for October 2nd which is the day he died from pneumonia.
What we can say in certainty is that Private Cluff died in the service of his country.