Albert Trotter

**Albert Trotter** was born on 19 November 1920 on Tobacco Road in Wapping, London, close to the Docks, where he lived with his brothers Edward, George, and Jack. Albert joined the Royal Navy in 1937, aged 17, and two years later was called to action following the outbreak of the Second World War. He spent the rest of his life recounting tales from the war. He won seven medals - although this was largely because he had an extraordinarily unfortunate time. He served on seven ships that were either torpedoed or divebombed over a period of four years, including two during Peacetime. Albert undertook basic parachute training on the Isle of Wight, which enabled him to fall without injuring himself. He used this to his advantage in the post-war years, staging mock falls down the cellars of pubs in order to receive financial compensation. He staged falls down at least fifteen cellars, gaining the nickname of "The Ferret" in the process. After the war, Albert joined the Merchant Navy. In spite of his past with the Royal and Merchant Navies, Albert cannot swim. He lost contact with his brother Edward because of a fight over Albert's future wife Ada to whom they were both attracted. Despite this, he attended Edward's funeral.

Uncle Albert, as he was known by his two great nephews, Del Boy and Rodney, who he first met when he attended the funeral of his older brother Edward. Shortly after the funeral, Albert was abandoned by Stan and Jean, with whom he was living in their mobile home. After initial reluctance, Del agreed to let his Uncle stay. Albert was described by Del as "England's greatest sailor since Nelson lost the Armada."

It is revealed by Albert, that Grandad and Albert fell out over Albert's later wife, Ada, whom they both fancied at the time. The fight ended in them both hitting each other and after that, they never spoke again. Ultimately, Albert's marriage to Ada was not an entirely happy one, and the two were estranged by the late 1960s, though never formally divorced. They had no children.

Albert was famed for telling stories that often began with the words "During the war...", which often annoyed Del and Rodney but almost always caught their interest once he started telling them the story.

Albert was less of a help than a hindrance. Albert ruins a long anticipated dinner with Del's wife, Raquel's parents (whom she had not spoken to for many years). After hours of preparation and worrying about the meal, and the oversized table, everything appears to be going well until Del realises that Albert has confused the jars containing coffee and gravy granules. By this time, however, it is too late; the guests have already poured coffee over their meals. Before eating, Del punishes Albert by pouring the "gravy" all over his meal. The meal is abandoned early, and Raquel goes to fetch the "coffee". In Del Boy's own words: "Not only have you managed to sink every battleship and aircraft carrier that you've ever sailed on, but now you've gone and knackered a gravy boat!"

Albert had a female companion called Elsie Partridge. His nephews often teased him about this as well as his ability to sink ships and, with his bald head and big white beard, his resemblance to Captain Birdseye.

Although Del and Rodney often teased Albert, they showed their care for him when they found out he had died in 2001, and they both regretted not taking him on holiday with them before he died (although Albert never held a passport). The brothers later scatter Albert's ashes in the English Channel, before visiting the French village where Albert had been stationed for a time during the war only to find an entire town inhabited by bald men with white beards who all bore more than a passing resemblance to their late uncle, they joked it should have been called "Trottersville".

## Awards

* 1939–1945 Star
* Atlantic Star
* Africa Star
* Pacific Star
* Italy Star
* Defence Medal
* War Medal