Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Lance Corporal Fred Tate (Service No:WX37974) initially served in the ACMF (Service No:W40698) from 28 March 1942 with 29th and 5th Garrison Battalions. L/Cpl Tate served with 35 Infantry Battalion from 25 March 1943 until Discharge on 16 February 1945.

Fred was born in Jardee via Pemberton, WA in 1915, youngest of two children of Arthur Fred Tate (b1885 in Durham, England) and Elizabeth Frances Park (b1886 in Durham, England). Arthur (a Farm Assistant) and Elizabeth (an Innkeeper's Assistant) married in Durham in 1912 and immigrated in December that year, arriving in Fremantle, WA on board the Australind. Arthur and Elizabeth settled in Jardee via Pemberton, where Arthur worked as a Mill Hand before moving to Bridgetown by the early 1920s. Arthur worked in Bridgetown as a Mill Hand, Farmer, Truck Driver and Road Foreman.

Fred worked as a Farm Hand in Bridgetown, and in 1941 was working as a Mill Hand at Blaxsome's Mill in Yornup when an accident caused the loss of four fingers from his right hand - he had applied and passed selection for the RAAF. In 1942 in Katanning, Fred married Winifred (Win) Emmeline Pearce (b1917 in Adelaide, South Australia) - Win was living in Wagin. Fred enlisted in the Army, and following his Discharge, he and Win settled in Bridgetown where Fred was a Farmer and member of the Bridgetown Rifle Club - consistently winning trophies. Fred and Win retired to Geraldton, where Fred died in 1997 and Win in 2001.