Tim Tate, Born 18.12.1904. (Oosterbeek, Plot 20, Row C, Grave 13).

Educated at Sherborne and Cambridge, graduated in Chemical Engineering and Patents.

On 18 October 1938, applied for and granted a Temporary Commission. On 5th March 1940 mobilised into Royal Warwickshire Regiment, then designated for Home Defence and Corps Training Unit. Served in that unit reaching rank of Major. Dissatisfied and seeking action, he applied for transfer to airborne forces, but application refused until replacement could be found in R.Warwicks.

On 1st February 1943. his application for transfer was approved, subject to his passing parachute training and qualifying as parachutist. He was 38 years of age. He remained on roll of R. Warwicks, but on 21.6.1944, was posted as Major @ adjutant of 2 Para, under command of John Frost. Many of 2 Para had already fought in N Africa, Sicily and Italy. 

As eldest Officer he became the “father” of the Battalion. As Adjutant, he became responsible for discipline and was i/c HQ Company.

Prior to Market, several men were detained by RMP for being absent without leave and placed in custody. The RMP referred to matters to Major Tate, seeking Court Marshall of miscreants, which would have left the men out of the operation.. Tim did not refer the matter upwards, which he should have done, but instead ‘wrote off’ and dismissed the charges due to a “clerks mal administration of leave passes” and returned to men to their rifle companies, thus taking them to Arnhem.

Tim jumped onto Zone X at 1400 on 17th, after 320 Horsa and Hamilcar Gliders had landed on LZ S & Z. At 1300, 2 Para moved off DZ along route LION. At 2000 hrs, along with Major Tatum-Walker, Tim arrived at the bridge and set up HQ Company. At 2045 John Frost arrived and joined HQ in Provinchams House.

On 19.9.44, John frost was standing talking outside, when an explosion blew him several feet and wounded in his legs. Command then fell to Tim Tate. By dark, all the building were on fire.

Tim organised the defence and 3 counter attacks to stop germans setting demolition charges on bridge.

Late, on 21st, after receiving news that relief would not be arriving, Tate began organising the break out of about 120 unwounded men in two groups of 60. He would lead one, Tatum Walker the other, leaving S.Lieutenant Jim Flavell to lead smaller rearguard.

Tim led off first group, but being silhouetted against the flames, was machine gunned and killed.

The battle for the bridge was over. 2 Para had arrived with about 350 men, 210 wounded, 100 unwounded taken prisoner. The had held it for 80 hours.

Tim Tate had a field grave near that of Jack Grayburn, later moved to Oosterbeek. He was recommended for a ‘Mention in Dispatches’ but that was not upheld at HQ. Only 5 MiDs wre awarded to the 1st Airborne Division.

If Tim craved action he had found it.