Albert Gladstone Trotter, better known as Uncle Albert (19 November 1920 – 2001), was a fictional character in the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, portrayed by Buster Merryfield. He was introduced during the fourth series as a replacement for the character of Grandad (the character's brother) due to the sudden death of Lennard Pearce in 1984. Fictional character biography Albert 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 was awarded 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, joined the cast in 1985 during the episode Strained Relations when he attended the funeral of his older brother Edward. Shortly after the funeral, Albert was abandoned by his nephew Stan and his wife 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 in Tea for Three, 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