WO2 Ernest "Pat" Tague
British Army Seaforth Highlanders
from:South Shields
(d.22nd Sep 1944)
My namesake Ernest Tague was killed at Nijmegn on the 22nd of Sept 1944, he was was eldest brother of my mother Jenny Tague. My uncle was a regular and also a sportsman winning cups in Hong Kong in 1937 for boxing and also was a good single skulls sportsman. I remember him vividly on his last leave in 1944 when he came to see his mother and I remember how troubled he was at this time as he could not comfort his mother or say what he was doing. He was married to Margaret who lived in London and they had two children Marcus and Bee. I can imagine his feelings as when I packed my sea bags I had no idea when I would be back, difference then was we were in the toughest part of WW2.
He died during operation Market Garden when going to the aid of I believe an American unit that was cut off, it would seem that he and a large number of his company, 7th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders, were killed at Nijmegen and all eventually buried at the war cemetery in Mierlo which I visited a number of times when business took me to Europe, I think I was the only member of the family to ever visit the grave. The telegram that arrived telling my grandmother of his death also killed her inside as she never was the same person again.
