Meinhard was born on 28 December 1917 in Berlin, Germany to Max and Sofie nee Burger, and he had two sisters, Ruth and Edith. Meinhard’s sister Ruth married Fred Gunston in Wiesbaden in 1935 and left Germany for England where their daughter Ann-Juliet was born in 1937. Meinhard also travelled to England and lived with family friends, the Behrens, in Withington, Manchester. Meinhard worked for Heinrich Behrens as a manager of his company which made haversacks, groundsheets and bags. Behrens Brothers is still in operation today.

At the outbreak of WW2. Meinhard was interned, but released on 25 October 1940.

Meinhard enlisted into the Army serving under the surname of Winster. He was killed in action on 4 November 1944.