Vincent Berryman Tucker was born on 16 April, 1885, at Bedminster, Bristol, in Gloucestershire, the fourth of seven known children to Edwin Tucker, a postman, and Rhoda Tucker (formerly Nicholas). He was baptised on 30 December, 1885, at the Holy Nativity Church, in Bedminster, when the family was living at 11 Highgrove Street.

He had three sisters and three brothers: Jessie (1871); Herbert Cecil (1879); Francis Leonard (1881); Julia Emma Yettia (1887); Ivor Hedley (1889); and Gwendoline Marguiette (1891). 

By 1891 the family was living at 3 Prospect Place, in Bedminster, and ten years later were living at 14 Stanbury Road, in Victoria Park. Edwin Tucker died in 1901, and his widow and remaining children had moved to 26 Stanbury Road by 1911. Their mother later remarried becoming Rhoda Coram.

On 6 March, 1901, Vincent Berryman Tucker joined the Great Western Railways, at Bristol, initially employed as a call boy, just before his 16th birthday. On 26 November, 1902, he became a cleaner, until 22 September, 1903, when he became a fireman, employed on shunting. His record shows that on 29 July, 1907, he was a 3rd class fireman employed on goods trains. He resigned on 24 March, 1908.

It was noted that on 30 May, 1905, whilst at Lawrence Hill Goods Yard, he was watering coal on a tender when the watering pipe became detached and the escaping steam and hot water scaled his leg, requiring two days off work.

In March, 1908, Vincent Tucker handed in his notice due to unpleasantness at home and stated he wanted to leave the country. He then appealed and tried to withdraw his notice. However, his appeal was turned down. It would appear that he then joined the merchant service, employed as a fireman.

[His brother Francis Leonard served as a corporal in the Army Pay Corps, whilst Ivor Hedley served as an able seaman in the Bristol Division of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. He was a member of the Royal Naval Division engaged at Antwerp in October, 1914, following which he was interned in Holland for the remainder of World War One.]

Vincent Berryman Tucker was serving as a fireman aboard the Australian cargo ship, SS Australdale (4,379 tons), when she was torpedoed in the Bay of Biscay, 165 miles north-north-west of Cape Villano, in Spain.

She had sailed in convoy from Milford Haven, in Wales, on 16 October, with a cargo of coal to Gibraltar.

On 19 October she was sunk by the German submarine, U-22, and Vincent Tucker was one of 27 crew who were lost, believed to have drowned. He was aged 32.

Having no known grave but the sea, Vincent Berryman Tucker is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, in London. His name has not been identified on any local war memorial.

Vincent Berryman Tucker's service earned him the British War Medal, 1914-20; and Mercantile Marine War Medal, 1914-18.