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 fifty 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 eighteen, 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 Legion D’honneur at the French Ambassador’s Residence in Knightsbridge. The Legion D’honneur is the highest decoration in France and is awarded for outstanding services to the nation.
Dick Goodwin, Vice President, 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 Pauls 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.
To find out more about the support the Taxi Charity offers to veterans or to donate visit www.taxicharity.org
About the Taxi Charity
The Taxi Charity is run by volunteer London black taxi drivers and has been supporting thousands of veterans of all ages since 1948. The charity arranges free trips to the Netherlands, Belgium, and France, for acts of commemoration and days out to museums, concerts, or fundraising events across the UK, to catch up with friends and comrades.
The charity was awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in June 2021.
In 2023 the charity will be celebrating its 75th anniversary.
To fund and facilitate their work, the charity is reliant on donations, grants, and sponsorship.
