LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer Keith TATE
Service No: 60355
Born: Neutral Bay NSW, 24 May 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 5 August 1941
Unit: No. 221 Squadron (RAF), Kalamaki, Greece
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 221 Squadron Wellington XIII aircraft), off the Greek Coast, 3 April 1945, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Neville Keith and Eileen Catherine Tate; husband of Nora Tate, of Wentworthville, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Wentworthville NSW
Remembered: Column 283, Alamein Memorial, Egypt
Remembered: Panel 131, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Wentworthville Park Memorial, Wentworthville NSW
On 3 April 1945, a Wellington XIII aircraft took off from Kalamaki or an air test between 1645 and 1745 hours. It was seen to climb to 1,000 feet with its undercarriage still down, and was last seen flying out to sea. No messages were received from the aircraft which failed to return to base. In 1948 it was recorded that the crew members had lost their lives at sea.
The crew members of X111 were:
Flying Officer Richard Henry Golding (422510) (Pilot)
Leading Aircraftman George William Smith (1235135) (RAFVR) (Fitter II Airframe)
Pilot Officer Keith Tate (60355) (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/39/533
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line