Bert Leahy

Bert Leahy was an alias used by Hugo Ludolff whose father was Jean Max Ludolff. Hugo Ludolff originally used the alias Albert Neil after he had spent some time in prison for larceny. He first enlisted in Victoria (WW1) under the name Albert Neil but was caught breaking out of camp and admitted his true identity. He later moved to South Australia and re-enlisted there under the name Bert Leahy. He used the name 'Leahy' as his father had later married Martha Leahy. His brother Robert also changed his German surname as there was a lot of mistrust at the onset of WW1. Hugo Ludolff was born in Kogarah, Sydney (near Botany). He said he had no next of kin just a friend Mrs Cooke (who was actually his sister-in-law). He later married Lena Penney and lived in Petersham, NSW where he mainly worked as a steeplejack.