Albert Edward Tucker was born in Bristol, Gloucestershire, England, in 1889, the son of James and Elizabeth Ann Tucker (née Cobley). The family home was at 15. Willway Street, Bedminster, Bristol. Albert was one of fourteen children; however, by 1911, six of his siblings had died. His father was employed in the lithograph printing trade.
On completion of his education, Albert became a labourer, and in March 1911, he boarded the Lake Manitoba in Liverpool, and immigrated to Canada. On arrival at St. John, New Brunswick, he made his way to Hamilton, Ontario, where he found work.
In the spring of 1915, he decided to return home to Bristol, possibly to fulfil his patriotic duty in time of war and consequently booked third class passage on the May sailing of the Lusitania which was scheduled to leave New York for Liverpool on the morning of 1st May.
Not much more is really known about him, but he would probably have left Hamilton by rail some time in April and arrived at the Cunard berth at Pier 54 in New York on May Day morning in time for the liner’s 10 o’clock departure and then would have had to have waited until just after mid-day before the liner actually left the port. This delay was caused because the Lusitania had to load cargo and embark passengers and crew from Anchor Liner the S.S. Cameronia, which had been requisitioned for use as a troop ship by the British Admiralty at the end of April.
Six days out of New York, on the afternoon of 7th May, the Lusitania was torpedoed by the German submarine U-20, under the command of Kapitänleutnant Walter Schwieger, twelve miles off the coast of southern Ireland and only about fourteen hours steaming time from her Liverpool destination. She then sank within 20 minutes, killing two thirds of all her passengers and crew. One of the many third class passengers killed was Albert Tucker. He was aged 25 years at the time of his death.
As his body was never recovered from the sea and identified afterwards, he has no known grave.
It is known that three of his brothers served in the armed forces during the War, with mixed fortunes. K/16999 Stoker 1st Class Alfred Edwin Tucker, served with the Royal Navy and was killed in action on H.M.S. Indefatigable in the Battle of Jutland on the 31st May 1916, aged 22 years. His body was claimed by the sea and he is commemorated 21132 Private Frederick James Tucker served with the Gloucestershire Regiment in the Balkans and suffered severe gunshot wounds to both of his legs in February 1916, necessitating the amputation of both. He was discharged as being medically unfit in December 1916. Another brother, Private George Henry Tucker served in the Wiltshire Regiment, Labour Corps, and finally the Royal Berkshire Regiment. He served on the Western Front in France and survived the War.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1891 Census of England & Wales, 1901 Census of England & Wales, 1911 Census of England & Wales, UK Outward Passenger Lists 1890 – 1960, U.S. Border Crossings from Canada to U.S. 1895 – 1960, Cunard Records, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Cork Examiner, Irish News, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Ryan McGrath, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.