Albert James Tucker was born on 22 February, 1922, at The Chantry House, in Combe Raleigh, Devonshire, the only child of Ben Tucker, a carpenter, and Mary Jane Tucker (formerly Carnell). By late 1939, he and his father were living at 52 High Street, in Honiton, Devonshire, his mother having died in late spring of that year.

On Wednesday, 5 February, 1941, Albert James Tucker appeared at Honiton Petty Sessions for riding his bicycle without lights in the blackout, for which he was fined 15 shillings, one of six men so charged: at that time his address was listed as Central Place, in High Street, Honiton.

He was single, employed as a labourer prior to enlistment. On enlistment he was described as being: 6' 1" tall; with fair hair; blue eyes; a fresh complexion; and a chest measurement of 40"/43½".

Albert James Tucker enlisted in the Army at Exeter on 22 September, 1941, aged 19, for service with the Coldstream Guards. Interestingly, given that it was wartime, he engaged as a regular for 12 years' service (seven years as a regular and five years in the reserve). He was posted to the Recruit Depot for training, before being posted to the Training Battalion on 21 January, 1942.

On 14 November the same year he was posted to the 6th Battalion, Coldstream Guards, which had become a Holding Battalion. He left the battalion on 1 July, 1943; drafted on 16 July; cross-posted to North Africa on 28 July; and cross-posted to the Middle East (meaning Sicily/Italy) on 5 September.

He joined the 3rd Battalion, Coldstream Guards, on 16 September, by which time it had been serving in Italy for one week. Guardsman Tucker found himself thrust into one of the hardest-fought campaigns of World War Two.

The 3rd Battalion, Coldstream Guards, was part of the 201st Guards' Brigade in the 56th Division, and had landed at on 9 September. The following day the 201st Brigade went into action against the 16th SS Panzer Division, the 3rd Battalion capturing part of Monte Corvino airfield. A counter-attack on 11 September was fought off, and the 64th Panzergrenadier Regiment (16th SS Panzer Division) attacked the battalion on 13 September, but was broken up.

Guardsman Tucker would certainly have been present in the fighting on the precipitous hills above Salerno on 22 September, harassed by shellfire and delayed by demolitions and mortaring: on 24 September it assaulted the 600-foot Capella Ridge.

At noon on 25 September the battalion, with Nos. 1 and 3 Companies leading, attacked Point 270, at Cappezano, occupied by 120 men of the 29th Panzergrenadier Regiment. Despite the steep climb, close-range firing, grenades and burning brushwood, No. 3 Company reached the crest after hand-to-hand firing.

Three well-sited machine-gun posts pinned down No. 1 Company, all of whose officers became casualties, and Company Sergeant Major Peter Wright took command. After a quick reconnaissance he collected a section and positioned them for covering fire. He then performed an act which won him the Victoria Cross: Single-handed he then attacked each post in turn with hand grenade and bayonet, and silenced each one. He then led his company on to the crest, but realized that the enemy fire still made his position untenable. He therefore led them a short way down the hill again and up on to the objective from a different direction. Entirely regardless of enemy fire, which was very heavy, he then reorganized what was left of the company and placed them in a position to consolidate the objective.

On 26 September the battalion was relieved and returned to Salerno. Casualties during the first three weeks of the Italian campaign had amounted to 18 officers and 223 other ranks, half of them in the attack on Point 270.

In October the 201st Guards' Brigade moved to Capua, and on 12 October it began to clear the Abruzzi ridges overlooking the plain, starting with Monte Grande. On 17 October Nos. 2 and 4 Companies assaulted the mountain to find the Germans had withdrawn, and two days later the battalion attacked the mountain village of Pozzillo, No. 4 Company coming under intense fire.

During November-December the brigade advanced on the 3,000-foot Monte Camino, consisting mostly of shale, rock and some scrub, dominating the Garigliano and road to Rome.

On 6 November the 3rd Battalion opened the attack, advancing on Calabritto. No. 3 Company ran into a minefield, but was led through by a German prisoner, and dealt with various machine guns and attacked at first light. No. 4 Company established itself on 'Bare Arse' Ridge. Calabritto was incessantly mortared and the commanding officer was mortally wounded.

On 10 November the battalion relieved the Grenadier Guards on 'Bare Arse' Ridge, with only enough room for two companies, and held the position under continuous shellfire for five days until 14/15 November, when the battalion withdrew to Pugliano, near Naples, for rest and reinforcement. Battalion casualties amounted to 2 officers and 19 other ranks killed, with 68 wounded.

On 1 December the battalion arrived without incident in the forward concentration area at Camino Roccamonfina. The next day X Corps artillery opened fire on Monte Camino to dislodge six Panzergrenadier battalions. At 22.00 hours the battalion moved to a forward concentration area around Galuccio, subjected to intermittent shelling, but suffered no casualties.

During 2/3 December the 167th Brigade took 'Bare Arse' Ridge, but No. 4 Company, 3rd Coldstream Guards, was unable to advance from Point 727 to seize Points 683 and 615 on the next ridge. A nasty problem confronted the battalion coming up the Mule Track: the feature around the Mule Track was filled with troops, and it was unsafe to allow any more to rest there. The battalion could not advance on to Point 683 and was ordered to join Lance Force under the cliffs of 'Bare Arse' Ridge.

At 14.00 hours on 3 December orders were received that the battalion should attack and take Point 683 before dark. This was not possible as the troops needed to rest and there was not sufficient time to lay on the attack.

A night attack was to start at 23.00 hours, with No. 2 Company on the right; No. 3 Company on the left; and No. 4 Company in reserve. The battalion moved off at 23.30 hours, and took eight hours to scramble over boulders, and to advance 1,000 yards, the latter part over muddy, terraced cultivated fields.

On 4 December the battalion reached its objectives in the rain, without opposition or casualties, except for the Regimental Aid Post, which received a direct hit from a shell, killing the medical officer and the padre, and wounding one or two others. The battalion headquarters was heavily mortared and sniped for about 35 minutes, sustaining several casualties. The rest of the day passed off quietly except for sniping. Enemy sniping and mortaring meant that getting supplies forward was almost impossible, and the guardsmen stayed on the mountain without rations or water supply.

The situation over the next few days was disquieting because the battalion was in a salient without any communications except by lamp, which no one could answer. Sniping continued on 5 December, and the first rations arrived: at 21.00 hours the Durham Light Infantry arrived to attack at dawn the next day, from the battalion's position.

However, snipers had crept in close to a covering party of Bren gunners and mortar observation post, killing an officer. The 6th Grenadier Guards and 2nd Scots Guards also appeared at dawn, for their attack on Aquependola at 12.00 hours, supported by the battalion's medium machine guns. The rest of the day (6 December) was quiet for the battalion.

The Germans withdrew from Calabritto, and Monte Camino was captured, for which the regiment was subsequently awarded the battle honour 'Monte Camino'.

Poignantly, Guardsman Albert James Tucker was killed in action the next day, Tuesday, 7 December, listed in the battalion war diary as a 'quiet day', in the immediate aftermath of the victory for Monte Camino.

The full battalion casualties for this battle, which included Guardsman Tucker, were: Killed in action: 4 officers 11 other ranks (including Guardsman Tucker). Wounded: 1 officer 44 other ranks, of whom 4 later died.

The second battle of Camino ended for the battalion on 10 December when it retired to rest at Terra Corpa, whilst the Allies advanced to Garigliano and Cassino. Camino was regarded as one of the toughest tests of endurance of the war.

Albert James Tucker was aged 21 when he was killed in action. He had served in North Africa for 51 days; in Sicily and Italy for 94 days; and had spent 83 days with the 3rd Battalion, Coldstream Guards. His total service amounted to 2 years and 77 days.

Albert James Tucker's papers state that he was initially buried at map reference: 'Italy, Sheet 160/2, Cassino, 943075.Foot of spur near Formeli. Grave No. 16. (CCI Registration No. 1515256).'

On 24 May, 1945, he was, together with those others buried in this remote place, re-buried in the CWGC cemetery at Cassino, his gravestone bearing the inscription, in four lines: A BRITISH SOLDIER / TRUE AND GRAND / HE LIVETH FOREVER / IN HIS HOMELAND. R.I.P.

He is also commemorated on the town war memorial, as A. J. TUCKER, outside St. Paul's Church, on the High Street in Honiton, and his sacrifice was recognised in a memorial scroll awarded by the Borough of Honiton.

Albert James Tucker's World War Two service earned him the 1939-45 Star; Italy Star; and War Medal, 1939-45.

The Borough of Honiton issued a Memorial Certificate for Service During the War of 1939-45 commemorating Albert James Tucker's sacrifice during World War Two.