Bertram John Tucker was born on 3 November, 1893, at Elm Terrace, in Clapper Lane, Honiton, Devonshire, the third child and eldest son of John Tucker, a solicitor's clerk, and later County Court clerk, and Martha May Tucker (formerly Towt): he was baptised at Honiton on 29 December, 1893. He had five siblings, Helena Mary Clarise (1889); Agatha May (1891); Frederic George (1894); Charles Samuel (1899); and Christine Wilhelmina (1907-8).

By 1901, the family was living at the High Street, in Honiton, but at the time of the census Bertram was a patient at the Exeter Eye Hospital. By 1908 they were living at 'Garfield', in West End, Honiton, and by 1911 had moved to 'Brookhill', in New Street.

By 1911, Bertram was employed as a bank clerk, but on 21 August, 1912, aged 18 (although the passenger list gives his age as 19), he emigrated to Canada, sailing from Bristol aboard the Royal Line liner, Royal Edward, bound for Quebec and Montreal. He eventually travelled to Bounty, in Saskatchewan, where he became a teller accountant, employed by the Union Bank of Canada.

Bertram John Tucker's military career began in around 1910, when, aged about 17 years of age, he enlisted in the 4th Battalion, the Devonshire Regiment (Territorial Force). He served with them for about two years before emigrating to Canada.

There, on 8 August, 1914, he enlisted into the Canadian Militia, at Rosetown, Saskatchewan. On 21 September he enlisted and attested at Valcartier, a few miles north west of Quebec City, into the 1st Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery, as a Gunner, number 40884. He was aged 20, and described as being: 5' 9½" tall; with light brown hair; brown eyes; and a dark complexion; weighing 165 lbs; and with a chest measurement of 34½"/37½": he had a deformed final phalanx on the first finger of his left hand. He was declared fit for overseas service and was taken on the strength of the unit the next day.

On 29 September, 1914, Gunner Tucker departed Quebec, aboard the requisitioned troopship, SS Saxonia, with the 1st Brigade, Canadian Expeditionary Force, bound for England, where he arrived on 16 October. He disembarked the next day and went with the 1st Brigade to West Down North Camp, near Amesbury, Wiltshire, to undergo training before embarkation for France.

He embarked at Avonmouth on 8 February, 1915, for active service on the continent. The unit arrived at St. Nazaire, in France, on 11 February, although Bertram John Tucker's medal card gives the date of 15 February as qualifying for the 1914-15 Star.

At some stage in these events he committed the offence of 'absence', in England, but it was not until 25 February, in France, that he appears to have been punished, with one day's No. 2 Field Punishment. One wonders if he had taken the opportunity to visit his family in England before embarkation, and returned late?

Bertram John Tucker served with the Ammunition Column, of the 1st Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery, in the Ypres Salient, Belgium, from March, 1915, taking over from the 2nd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, at Leurbaix, and spent the month in shelling and counter-shelling: on 18 April it marched to Poperinghe.

On 22 April, it was moving up to Ypres, from reserve, when it encountered French Moroccan soldiers streaming down the road, having just been subjected to the first use of poison gas by the Germans at St. Julien. The Canadians held firm and prevented the Germans from following up their success in the initial break through. The next day the Canadian Artillery was in action on the Yser Canal, two miles north of Ypres, to support a counter-attack made by the Canadians.

By 2 May the 1st Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery, had suffered six killed and 50 wounded. They then supported operations around St. Julien and a French counter-attack mounted from the canal bank at Yser: on 8 May it was recorded that they had expended 3,500 rounds of ammunition in the previous 30 hours. The firing had been so heavy that the oil in the buffers boiled; with springs broken or tired; and packing burnt out: only seven guns remained serviceable. 

By the end of May they had taken up positions at La Basseé, thence to Festubert, and in June took over positions near Ploegsteert, where they stayed until February, 1916.

Early in 1916 Bertram John Tucker was granted leave, to England, following which, on his return to Belgium, he attended the Signal School, passing out at the head of his section. Thereafter he was employed as a signaller with the headquarters staff, and his rank was changed as some point to that of Driver.

In January, 1916, the 3rd Canadian Division was formed and joined the other Canadians in the Ypres Salient, to form the Canadian Corps, and in April it was engaged at St Eloi and Voormezeele. By June the 3rd Canadian Division occupied a position running from Sanctuary Wood, over Hill 62 and along Observation Ridge, to Mount Sorrel.

At 8.30 am on 2 June a preliminary German bombardment broke like a storm over the Canadian positions, and by 1.15 pm that day the Canadian infantry had suffered over a thousand casualties around Sanctuary Wood and Hill 60. At 4.00 pm the decision was made to mount a counter-attack at dawn the following morning, and at 9.45 pm orders were issued for the counter-attack, intended for 2.00 am the next morning, 3 June.

However, the counter-attack against Hill 62 did not go in until 7.10 am, due to the time it took to get them back into the line, and make the artillery arrangements. The counter-attack did not recover the old front line trenches, but did stabilise the battle in Sanctuary Wood and stopped the German advance.

The 1st Brigade's war diary records that there was enemy shelling throughout the night of 5 June, with a heavy bombardment of Zillebeke over 6-7 June, and further, considerable enemy shelling, on 9 June, in retaliation to Canadian shelling. The enemy artillery was fairly active the following day, with them paying particular attention to the Dump and Cutting over 11-12 June.

On 12 June it recorded: 'Enemy artillery shelled the Dump and Cutting particularly today. At 8 pm enemy's retaliation from Dump to Square Wood for our bombardment was comparatively weak. Again at 1.45 am he retaliated with artillery along the front. Our finish opposite Hill 60 caused him to put quite a barrage down the Cutting and across our Support Trenches from 39 to 43 plenty weakening fire on our real attack. He also used a large number of T.M. and Rifle Grenades against the Dump and Support Trenches T.40 and 43. The enemy has evidently withdrawn a considerable amount of his artillery during the last week as his fire and barrages were much weaker when he made his attack on June 2nd and 3rd. Considerable rifle and machine gun fire during attack.'

On 13 June it recorded: 'Last night enemy fairly active with artillery - the Cutting and Trenches 42 and 43 received shrapnel at intervals. Today the Dump, Cutting, Bensham Road and Trenches 41 and 43 were heavily shelled with 3.03, 4.1's and 5.9's from 10.50 to 17.00 and all the country in areas of Trench 39 to 43 received 3.03 and 4.1's at intervals. Altogether enemy seems very aggressive though he seems to be trying to annoy us rather than working to any plan. Rifle and machine gun fire normal last night.'

It was not until 1.30 am, on 13 June, after a bombardment by over 200 guns, and using smoke and gas, in driving rain, that the Canadians attacked again and recovered most of the ground previously lost.

Driver (Signaller) Bertram John Tucker had clearly been involved in some very arduous fighting during the first two weeks of June, around Mount Sorrel during the battle to recover lost ground in Sanctuary Wood. He was mortally wounded on 12 June, suffering shrapnel wounds and compound fractures in both legs, and shrapnel wounds to his wrist and hand.

He was evacuated to No. 3 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station, near Lijssenthoek, Poperinghe, where he died on 13 June, 1916: he was aged 22.

An unknown chum of Driver Tucker is said to have stated, following his death: 'Throughout all the fighting he continued his dangerous work unharmed, seeming to bear a charmed life, but on 12th June 1916, the last day of this battle, after four times repairing his signal wires under an intense barrage, he was mortally wounded at the fifth attempt, and died the next day in a Casualty Clearing Station, leaving to those who loved him an example of noble patriotism and unswerving devotion to duty.'

There were many occasions when a man won the Military Medal for similar acts. He had served in the Canadian Field Artillery for a total of one year and 265 days, of which one year and 118 days had been spent in France and Flanders.

Driver Bertram John Tucker was buried in Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery (plot VII, row C, grave 33), the lower inscription on his gravestone reading: 'Remember Him with Honour and Thanksgiving'.

He is also commemorated in the Canadian Expeditionary Force Book of Remembrance, for the First World War, as well as on the Honiton town war memorial, outside the parish church, on the High Street, identified simply as: 'B. J. TUCKER', below which is listed 'R. G. TUCKER', his uncle.

Bertram John Tucker's service earned him the: 1914-15 Star; British War Medal, 1914-20; and Victory Medal, 1914-19, which were sent to his father.

The Canadian Memorial Cross was instituted in 1914 for issue to the wives and mothers of servicemen in the Canadian forces who had died during World War One, and that for Bertram John Tucker was sent to his mother, in England, on 11 September, 1920.

His memorial scroll was sent to his father on 16 February, 1921, followed by his memorial plaque, a year later, on 26 January, 1922.