Sgt. Albert Victor Tennuci
British Army 16th Parachute Field Ambulance Royal Army Medical Corps
from:Liverpool
Bert Tennuci was born of a service family on 20th of March 1922. His father was a Sergeant Major in the 5th Dragoon Guards, which were then serving in Palestine. The family traveled to several other postings and it was not until 1930 that the young Bert Tennuci first set foot in England. He joined the Royal Army Medical Corps in 1936 as a Boy soldier and reached the age criteria for adult service just 17 days before the outbreak of the Second World War.
After various postings, by May 1943 Bert was a Nursing Orderly with 84th General Hospital RAMC stationed in North Africa. Looking for some excitement, he volunteered for parachuting and successfully passed, transferring to 16th Parachute Field Ambulance RAMC, just in time for the Sicily operation.
After service in Italy, he returned to the UK in late 1943, where 1st Airborne Division began their training for the invasion of North West Europe. After several cancelled operations, Bert and the rest of 16th PFA went to Holland in September 1944 on Operation Market Garden, bound for Arnhem. The Battle plan intended that 16th Parachute Field Ambulance would move with the 2nd Parachute Battalion, snake to the outskirts of Arnhem, where they would leave to go to the St Elizabeth's Hospital and set up a Main Dressing Station there. Unlike much of the rest of the 1st Airborne plans, this is precisely what happened. By about 21.00hrs on 17th of September 1944, 16th Parachute Field Ambulance had arrived and Sergeant Tennuci was NCO in charge of wards. German forces occupied the hospital area eventually and marched most of the unit away into captivity. A few selected personnel were allowed to remain behind, Bert Tennuci being one of them. Later, Bert was sent to the Airborne Hospital established at Apeldoorn and after some time became a Prisoner of War. Bert was finally liberated, and after a perilous journey through Poland and Russia, returned to the UK via the Russian port of Odessa in April 1945.
After the war, Bert remained in the Army and in 1952 achieved the post of Regiment Sergeant Major of the RAMC Depot. He was commissioned in 1956, and retired in 1977 having risen to the rank of Colonel, his last posting being Commandant of Defence Medical Equipment Depot at Ludgershall. On his retirement he became Curator of the Medical Services Museum from 1977 till he died suddenly at work in November 1983.
