Norman Tate
Medal Index Card
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Norman Tate, one of 9 children all of whom survived, was the 3rd born of 7 brothers and had 1 elder and 1 younger sister. His father Robert William Tate born, January 29th 1862 at Gateshead, married at Benwell, a suburb of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, June 9th 1890, to Emma Stainsby, born March 11th 1865, native of Darlington, the daughter of master builder, Lionel Stainsby and wife Annie. In 1891 they are listed as visitors in the home of William and Laura Fail nee Tate, Robert William’s sister, at 86, Gainsborough Gardens, Elswick, Robert was employed as a clerk. Their eldest son Lionel Percy was born in 1892, daughter Maurita 1894, Robert Edward 1896, Norman 1897 and Alfred Cecil in 1900. They and their children had relocated to 148, Tynemouth Road, Byker and by 1911 to number 120, their family now complete with the birth of Sydney in 1902, George Stanley 1904, James Septimus 1906 and lastly Gladys May in 1908. Lionel Percy and Robert Edward following in their father’s footsteps were employed as shipping registry and colliery owners’ clerks, Norman now 13 years old was a scholar as were his siblings with the exception of Gladys May, as part of his education he attended Chillingham Road School and it is thought he too became a clerk.
When Britain declared a state of war existed with Germany, August 4th 1914, Norman was 17 almost 18 years of age, still too young to serve his Country. Once he came of age he enlisted during November 1915 and was assigned as Private 449 to the 28th (Reserve) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers which had been formed at Cramlington in July 1915 from the depot companies of the 18th and 19th Battalions. In November 1915 it was at Ripon and moved to Harrogate by December, September 1st 1916 it was absorbed by the Training Reserve Battalions of the 19th Reserve Brigade. As of October 1916, at the age of 19, now eligible for overseas service, he was drafted to join the 2nd Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, attached to the 84th Brigade, 28th Division, which had been serving in Salonika since the beginning of the year, where malaria was rife and took a greater toll amongst the combatants than the enemy. Private Tate rose to the rank of Lance Corporal and was wounded in October 1916 possibly during the capture of Barakli Jum’a. May 15th 1917 the regiment captured Ferdie and Essex Trenches remaining in the Barakli and Kumli sectors until being withdrawn from the Salonika front, June 1918, as one of 6 battalions ordered to return to France as reinforcements for the infantry brigades of the 50th Northumbrian Division, greatly depleted after the Battle of Aisne. Many of the men arrived still suffering from malaria, after receiving treatment and retraining, limited to only four hours a day for the sick, the newly fortified Division joined the Fourth Army as part of the 23rd Corps in October 1918 and took part in the Battle of Beaurevoir from October 3rd to the 5th, capturing the village of Le Catelet at the northern end of the St. Quentin Canal. Between this attack and the following at Grouy on October 8th, during the Battle of Cambrin, Lance Corporal Norman Tate was declared missing, his next of kin informed. In the midst of his family’s anxiety as to his whereabouts, the shattering news arrived that their eldest son Lionel Percy serving as Second Lieutenant attached to the 8th Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment was dead, killed in action, November 4th 1918. After extensive investigations Lance Corporal Norman Tate was struck off and declared to have died, October 6th 1918. Unlike his brother, Norman has no known grave, his sacrifice is recorded as one of the 9847 names inscribed on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial, which forms the backdrop to the Vis-en-Artois British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France.
His mother Emma received all monies due to him also his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal, sent to her at 111, Spencer Street, Heaton, Newcastle. Emma Tate nee Stainsby died aged 82 years, December 23rd 1947, preceded by her husband Robert William who had died June 7th 1928, aged 66 years.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest in Peace.
On October 6th 2018 a concert was held at St. Nicholas Cathedral as part of The North East Remembers 1918-2018 and Norman Tate's story featured in the service. Members of the Tate family were in attendance.
Norman Tate is remembered at Heaton as Tait on H91.44
