WWII Soldier "TATE"

[Fresh Fields]

A news release doing the rounds.

Search for a Soldier .... can you help?

100 years on from the first Anzac Day commemorations, Auckland War Memorial Museum
invites history buffs, war researchers, genealogists and the naturally curious to
find a mystery fallen New Zealand WWII Serviceman.

The enigma of this New Zealand soldier was brought to the Museum's attention by the
Israeli Ambassador Yosef Livne after a 2012 visit to New Zealand war graves in
Poland.

Back in Israel, Mr Livne read about a Hebrew soldier who was helped in WWII by an
unknown soldier. He'd been given New Zealand dog tags to avoid persecution from
German soldiers.

Mr Livne began researching and discovered a book written by an Israeli soldier in
the British Army, "Letters from the Desert - A Story of Friendship", describing the
friendship between the author Moshe Mosenzon and a New Zealand soldier whose last
name was 'Tate'.  The soldier was apparently killed in the battle of El Alamein.

It is the mystery surrounding 'Soldier Tate' which the Ambassador and Auckland
Museum want to solve.

"One thing is for certain - if everything in the story is true - is that somewhere a
New Zealand soldier is buried in a place only known to God.  We need to find this
soldier and be able to honour him" says Mr Livne.

Auckland Museum's Library and Armoury team have been researching the Kiwi Soldier
'Tate' as mentioned in the book.  However they have hit a dead end and are hoping
that the public can help.

"Auckland Museum would like the public to get involved in trying to identify
'Soldier Tate' to unlock this mystery. Every piece of information, big or small, can
contribute to solving the enigma," says Museum Director, Roy Clare.

End of Quote.

- Alan.

Edit Moderator: Title corrected.

[Johnf04]

Can you edit the title? You have WW1, rather than WW2.

[spades]

Hi John,

Alan isn't on line so I've taken your advice and made the correction.

Spades

[whiteout7]

A bit more

"Tate’s mother ‘Eleanor’ who may have run a boarding house in Northland during the war"

"Was killed approximately 1 year later around September or October 1942 in North Africa at the Battle of El Alamein"

"May have a had someone in his family circle called Eleanor / Eileen / Leonore Tate with a daughter called Jean or Jeanie"

http://www.aucklandmuseum.com/about-us/blog/2016/solve-a-wwii-mystery

[whiteout7]

As far as Tates in Northland goes here is one

Whangarei probates - TATE Charles - Paihia - Retired Storeman
1948   1948   Whangarei High Court            Akld

I also suspect the same man sold some land to the Bay of Islands hospital board in 1945

Checking his probate
https://familysearch.org/search/record/results?count=20&englishSubcountryName=Northland&query=%2Bgivenname%3ACharles~%20%2Bsurname%3ATate~%20%2Brecord_country%3A%22New%20Zealand%22%20%2Brecord_subcountry%3A%22New%20Zealand%2CNorthland%22

Elizabeth Muriel Halliday of Paihia seems to have been his daughter.

another one
Charles Roderick Tait of Whangarei died 1955 Whangarei
Wife Emily Ada Christina Tait.
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-996P-6D2D?i=229&wc=Q8C5-FQ7%3A1061159104%2C1045466501%3Fcc%3D1865481&cc=1865481

another one
Joseph Elliott Tate of Kawakawa probate 1957
Daughter Alice Elizabeth Tate
https://familysearch.org/search/record/results?count=20&englishSubcountryName=Northland&query=%2Bsurname%3ATate~%20%2Brecord_country%3A%22New%20Zealand%22%20%2Brecord_subcountry%3A%22New%20Zealand%2CNorthland%22

another one
Robert Blyth Tate probate 1954
Wife Margaret Park Tate
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G96P-6XF8?mode=g&i=191&wc=Q8C5-FWS%3A1061159104%2C1045462001%3Fcc%3D1865481&cc=1865481

I can see an Ellen Tate (husband James that had a son and daughter before the war nzbdm - son John b 1867 daughter Mary Ellen b 1864)

There is also an Eileen Florence Tate who was from Whanganui.

[ScouseBoy]

Do they want to find where he was buried?

[whiteout7]

I think they do and his service number

I can only think that if the have his dog tags that the service number must be incorrect on both of them even if the name says Tate

but they should have mentioned the faulty service number and the mans religion incase it helps with identity.

[ScouseBoy]

Try a search on  cwgc.org.uk 

[whiteout7]

Tried that, nothing on Commonwealth war graves that matches unless Moses was mistaken about Mr Tate being in the New Zealand army and also mistaken about his death at Al Alamein in NORTH AFRICA?

CCWG Comission

TATE, MAURICE VAREY   Sergeant   41611   10/09/1942   28   Royal New Zealand Air Force   New Zealand   3. C. 7.   BERGEN-OP-ZOOM WAR CEMETERY   (mother Mary Tate, wife Hilda Tate)

TATE, KENNETH DAWSON   Signalman   7895   10/02/1944   19   Royal New Zealand Navy   New Zealand   11. 3.   DUNEDIN (ANDERSON'S BAY) CEMETERY (mother Vida, died in New Zealand of illness)
   
TATE, LLOYD EDWARD   Flight Sergeant   421791   28/11/1943   20   Royal New Zealand Air Force   New Zealand   2. C. 1.   BROOKWOOD MILITARY CEMETERY   (mother Vida, died in a cyling accident in Surrey)

TATE, CHARLES ROYDON   Able Seaman   A/1770   16/02/1942   20   Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve   New Zealand   Panel 11.   NEW ZEALAND NAVAL MEMORIAL, DEVONPORT, AUCKLAND (mother Helen, Missing, presumed killed during Singapore Evacuation)