Private Frank John Partridge

Private Frank John Partridge

8th Battalion

29 November 1924 at Grafton, New South Wales

24 July 1945

Bonis Peninsula, Bougainville (now Papua New Guinea)

During an engagement with the enemy Partridge’s section came under particularly heavy fire and he was hit twice, in the left arm and the left thigh. Despite his wounds, and disregarding the heavy fire, he retrieved a Bren gun from a dead gunner and passed it on to another man and told him to give covering fire. He then rushed the enemy bunker, silenced it with a grenade, and killed the only living occupant with his knife. He cleared the dead from the entrance to the bunker and rushed another bunker but loss of blood caused him to halt and call for aid. His platoon moved forward but overwhelming enemy fire caused it to withdraw. His award was the first made to a militiaman.

23 March 1964

Macksville Cemetery, New South Wales

Privately held