Albert Frederick Tucker was born in 1882 at Stepney, in Middlesex, the sixth of eight known children to John William Tucker, a cabinet maker, and Mary Ann Tucker (formerly Rumble). He was baptised on 27 August, 1882, at St. Augustine's Church in Stepney, when the family lived at 75 Greenfield Street. He had six brothers and one sister: John William (1870); Richard George (1872); Alfred Henry (1874); Charles Alexander (1876); William Robert (1879); Clara Mary Amelia (1886); and Harry Thomas (1889).

By 1891 the family was living at 117 Old Church Road, in Mile End Old Town, and ten years later at 71 Ocean Street, with Albert employed as a general labourer.

They still lived at 71 Ocean Street in 1911, by which time Albert was employed as a printer's labourer. He was aged 32 and unmarried.

Albert Frederick Tucker's service record has not survived, and what is known has been extrapolated from other sources.

He enlisted at Poplar, in Middlesex, in the Essex Regiment, as a Private, no. 18083, and served with the 13th (Service) (West Ham) Battalion. The 13th (Service) (West Ham) Battalion was raised at West Ham in December, 1914, by the Mayor and Borough of West Ham, and known as the 'West Ham Pals'. By the end of January, 1915 over 300 had joined and by 3 April it had reached full capacity of 1,300, which is a good indication of Private Tucker's period of enlistment.

In August, 1915, it moved to Clipstone, and joined the 100th Brigade, in the 33rd Division, and moved to Perham Down on the Salisbury Plain.

Private Tucker embarked with his battalion for France on 17 November, 1915, landing at Boulogne.

In December, 1915, it was transferred to the 6th Brigade in the 2nd Division, and went into the trenches for the first time, at Le Preol.

By mid-January, 1916, it had moved and was occupying reserve trenches at Le Quesnoy, where it was subjected to shelling during its period in the line suffering some casualties.

February saw the battalion in the trenches at Festubert, alternating between there, suffering a few casualties from shelling, and billets at Les Choquaux, and then at Bully Grenay.

By the middle of April it was at Greuppe and Rupigny undergoing battalion and brigade training and thereafter occupied trenches at Coupigny, and then back to Bully Grenay. Most casualties up to this time had been from shelling.

In May, 1916, the battalion moved to Divion and went into billets, before relieving battalions of the London Regiment at Vimy Ridge. There it suffered further casualties from heavy shelling, and when relieved merely went back to the support trenches, where it had to provide working parties.

On 1 June, 1916, it was in the support area at Carency when three mines were blown, followed by heavy artillery fire, and the battalion was engaged in providing carrying parties, suffering a number of casualties.

The battalion was relieved on 6 June and went into billets and then moved to a support area, all the time suffering a trickle of casualties.

On 1 July, 1916, to assist the main operations on the Somme, the battalion, in the southern subsector at Berthonval, carried out one of a number of raids on a German strong point, which was extremely successful, for the loss of only two officers wounded, and six men killed, with three missing, and 40 wounded.

A point of note is that the battalion's war diary named all its casualties since the commencement of operations, and Private Tucker was never one of them.

On 5 July the battalion marched to billets at Camblain L'Abbe.

On 13 July the battalion returned to Carency. The battalion was relieved three days later and moved to the Somme front. and on 25 July took over reserve trenches in the Carnoy area, and then the trenches at Breslau Support on 18 July.

At 6.30 pm, on 28 July, 1916, the 13th Battalion went into action at Delville Wood, and 'B' and 'C' Companies, supporting the 2nd Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment, were attacked by the enemy, who were repulsed. The battalion suffered from intense enemy artillery and minenwerfer fire throughout the period it was in Delville Wood, as well as repulsing enemy attacks.

The battalion was relieved at 6.30 pm on 31 July, and took over reserve trenches. The battalion had suffered 7 officers wounded, 39 other ranks killed, 145 wounded, 20 suffering from shell shock, and 17 missing.

One of those killed or missing was Private Albert Frederick Tucker, whose date of death was recorded as 31 July, 1916. However, his absence was probably only registered at the roll call once the battle had been relieved. Therefore, he could have died at any point between 28-31 July, 1916. He was aged 34.

Having no known grave Private Albert Frederick Tucker is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial on the Somme, in France. His name has not been identified on any local war memorial.

Albert Frederick Tucker's service earned him the 1914-15 Star; British War Medal, 1914-20; and Victory Medal, 1914-19.