WWII veteran, Albert Wiltshire, who served with Combined Operations in the Royal Navy in WWII died on 16 September at the age of 99
Albert Wiltshire, 99, from Rotherhithe was married for 50 years, before losing his wife in 2012. They had two children, four grandchildren and six great grandchildren.
Conscripted as a wireman (an electrician) in the Navy at the age of 18, Albert was posted to Combined Operations which had been set up in 1940 during WWII by Winston Churchill to concentrate on offensive operations against the enemy.
In 2017, Albert was awarded the French Légion d'honneur at the French ambassador’s residence in Knightsbridge. The Légion d'honneur is the highest decoration in France and is awarded for outstanding services to the nation.
Dick Goodwin, vice president of the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans, said: "The charity is always deeply saddened to lose one of our family. Albert was a lovely, jolly man with a wonderful character. It was always a pleasure to have him on our trips; he slotted in so well with everyone and was loved by all our volunteers and cab drivers. An unassuming man who never wanted to be any trouble or inconvenience anyone - and he never was, and he never did."
Seb Philp, London taxi driver and Taxi Charity committee member said: "It was a pleasure having Albert in my taxi. I picked him up regularly because he lived close to me and I got to know him well. He often talked to me about his time in London during the Blitz and how he used to do watches from Saint Paul's for German planes. In Normandy together, on a Taxi Charity trip, he explained about letting Canadian troops who he had got to know very well, off his landing ship on Juno Beach on D-Day, but never seeing them again. Albert loved reading and listening to the radio. He was a wonderful man who enjoyed life to the full. I never once heard him complain and we will all miss him greatly."
Albert’s funeral will be held at St Gertrude’s Church, Rotherhithe New Rd, London, SE16 2BB, on 14 October 2022.
