Prestland | Albert
Biography
Albert is the son of Albert E. Prestland and Evelyn Prestland.
He was born in 1923 and came from Garston, Watford, Hertfordshire.
Until 1942, Albert, also called Bert, was employed by the B.A.O. Co. Ltd on Sandown road in Watford. He was also active for Well’s Watford Brewery.
During this period, Bert met the love of his life, Mollie Jean Milnes.
Unfortunately, because of the Second World War, their love was only for a short time..
Mollie married George Leslie Mills after the war.
Military career
Bert joined the Royal Artillery in 1942 and was assigned to 10th Survey regiment. The 10th Survey regiment’s task was to locate the enemy using light flash spotters and acoustic equipment. This included dangerous reconnaissance missions using motorised vehicles such as motorbikes and jeeps.
In the first week of October 1944, the 10th Survey Regiment moved into the Netherlands via Mechelen in Belgium and established itself in the vicinity of Haps. Several batteries were immediately built up and sound and light flash equipment was installed. Nine enemy locations were thus identified on 7 October 1944. On 8 October 1944, when the US 7th Armoured Division withdrew from the Battle of Overloon and the 3rd British Infantry Division took over, new camouflaged emplacements were installed in Ledeacker and Sint Anthonis. From Ledeacker, reconnaissances were made towards Oploo and Overloon.
As Venray was being liberated on this day, Lance Bombardier Bert Prestland and Captain Aveling were riding in their jeep on 18 October 1944 on one of their reconnaissance trips near Vredepeel (near today’s De Peel airbase-red).
Suddenly, they hit a German mine there, injuring Captain Aveling. Albert Prestland is killed in this incident at the age of only 21.
He was initially buried in the temporary cemetery near Bardoel on the road between Oploo and Overloon.
On 27 May 1947, he is reburied in grave IV.B.12 at the CWGC Cemetery Overloon.
In 2014, Mollie visited Bert’s grave in Overloon. After her death in 2016, the photos below are found in her legacy.
