WW1 Frank Larnach Tate (46402)

Frank Larnach Tate was born on 1 December 1886, the son of William and Wilhemina Tate, living at 12 Osborne Street, Newmarket and later at 664 Manukau Road, Royal Oak, Onehunga, Auckland.

Before he enlisted, in April 1917, he was working as a driver for a baker, S. Morton in Newmarket. He sailed for Plymouth, England on the vessel ‘Pakeha’ as a Rifleman with H Company, New Zealand Rifle Brigade, arriving on 28 July 1917. He spent two months training at Sling Camp in England before he was transferred to the Western Front in France, near Ypres in Belgium. [1]

The battle for Ypres was where, in the shattered landscape of mud, shell craters and barbed wire, machine-gun and artillery fire, the soldiers fought with so many lives lost, including Frank Larnach Tate (46402). He was killed in Action on 24 November 1917, aged 30. [2]

Frank Larnach Tate (46402) is buried at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium II. C. 5.

Frank is also remembered on:
• The Tate family grave memorial, Purewa Cemetery, Meadowbank, Auckland, where engraved is: “Also of their son, 46402 Rflm Frank Tate killed in action in France, 24th Nov 1917, aged 31 years, his country called.”
• Newmarket War Memorial, Olympic Park, Newmarket, Auckland
• The Borough of Newmarket War Memorial, Auckland Council Archives
• Remuera Primary School World War One Gates 1914-1918, 25 Dromorne Road, Remuera Auckland
• Auckland War Memorial Museum, World War 1 Hall of Memories.

G Ralph
July 2020