Albert was born on 28 April 1915 in Kitchener, Ontario to Dutch parents Maurits and Margaretha nee Boas and he had a younger brother Robert. Their father Maurits migrated from Amsterdam to Canada around 1912 and ran a scrap metal business. Maurits married Margaretha in 1913 the sister of his business associates Jaap and Jules Boas.
The business declined and the family returned to the Netherlands. Maurits died in Amsterdam in 1923 and Margaretha remarried in 1925 to Henrij Frank before they moved to Antwerp, Belgium. Albert attended the Royal Atheneum school in Antwerp and after leaving he worked for De Keyzer Thornton, an Antwerp shipping agent.
In May 1940, during the German invasion, Albert and Robert escaped to England both enlisting, Albert in the RAF and Robert into the Army.

Albert was an observer on Liberator LV340 which departed from RAF Ballykelly on an air test. The aircraft flew into Limnalary Mountain in bad weather at Carnlough, County Antrim killing all on board.

W/Op, Robert Ainslie, 1118813
Pilot, Michael Francis Dear, 63107
F/E, Charles Humphrey, 627737
Pilot, Arnolous Bothma Meyer, 776185
W/Op, Ivan Victor McQuay, 1180592
A/G, Thomas William Taylor, RNZAF, 405529

Group Captain, Harry King Goode, DSO, DFC, AFC. Goode had retired from the RAF and was onboard as a civilian in the Air Accident Branch.