Albert was born in Liverpool the youngest of six. He had two older sisters, Nelly and Lilly and three older brothers Bill, Tom and Harry.
Albert was close to his eldest sister Lilly and it was she who met off the train on his return from Dunkirk and it was she who saw him off again to north Africa in 1941.
A typically patriotic young man of his time he couldn't wait for his conscription papers to come. His mother would say ' they'll come soon enough boy ' and I guess she secretly wish that they'd never come but knowing they always would. How had it must have been for her. She had seen the boys that returned from the first world war and knew all to well what could happen.
Eventually his papers did come and Albert was conscripted into the Royal Army Medical Corps and was sent with the BTF to fight the Germans in France.
On his return he had told my Gran how he had been tasked with bagging and tagging the many fallen soldiers that littered the beach of Dunkirk. You just can't imagine what it must have been like doing that job while continually being straffed by the Luftwaffer.
Eventually Abert's chance to escape the carriage of the beach came and he clambered abourd a boat. Quite possibly on one the many 'Little Ships' sent to rescue the boys from the French coast.
Lilly met him off the train on his return. She said he looked terrible.
In no time at all Albert was sent to North Africa and from there to Crete.
Orders had been passed that Crete should be held at all costs against the relentless German advance.
Albert was there to do his bit but sadly on the 27th of May 1941 seven days after the German attack on the island had begun he met his death.
It has never been known to us where on the island or how Alburt died.
Having read a couple of books on the battle I know by that stage that things were very grim indeed.
I visited Crete with my family recently to follow my own personal battlefield tour and to pay my respects to the fallen of both sides.
The atmosphere on point 107 above the old airfield where the New Zealanders had fought so valiantly was almost tangible. There is still evidence up there of dug in gun emplacements and bunker firing positions!
Albert I said to be buried in the commonwealth war grave in Athens. How his body made it there I have no idea.
My ol Gran is with him now I'm very sad to say. She passed four years ago at the ripe old age of 94. I miss her terribly and have shed many a tear thinking how I would have loved to tell her about our trip and shared with her the pictures.
Well here's to Albert, thank you for doing your bit to ensure our freedom.
If anyone should know anything of Albert, I know it's a long shot now but if there is please contact me at
[contact link]
Thank you.
