Private Frank John Partridge
Australian Army, 8th Infantry Battalion

Background
Frank John Partridge was born in Grafton, NSW. On December 21, 1942 enlisted at Macksville, NSW in the Australian Army as a militiaman with Army serial number NX700426 and later N454409.

Wartime History
During 1945 at age 19, Private Partridge was assigned to the 8th Australian Infantry Battalion. On July 24, 1945 while serving as a rifleman in an attack against "Base 5" a series of Japanese bunkers and positions on the southern edge of Buoi Plantation in northern Bougainville. After an ineffective artillery bombardment, his section launched an attack and met heavy machine gun fire and sustained casualties. When his section attempted an encircling movement, they suffered more losses. Partridge was wounded twice: hit in his left arm and hit in his left thigh by a piece of shrapnel from a hand grenade. Although injured, he grabbed a Bren gun from a dead gunner and charged forward under enemy fire and fired into the bunker and was heard to yell "Come out and fight, you bastards", then handed off the gun, tossing a hand grenade inside then dove inside and killing the only surviving occupant with his knife and emerged covered in blood.

Afterwards, he attacked another bunker until he was unable to continue due to blood loss but participated in the combat until his platoon withdrew. Despite his wounds, he refused to be carried out so aid could be given to others with more serious wounds. Afterwards, the "Base 5" positions he attacked were dubbed "Part Ridge" in honor of Partridge.

Victoria Cross
On January 22, 1946 he earned the Victoria Cross (VC) for his heroism and fortitude on July 24, 1945. Partridge was the only militiaman to earn the highest decoration for valour to be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces in World War II.

Victoria Cross Citation "On 24 July 1945 two fighting patrols, 8th Australian Infantry Battalion, were given the task of eliminating an enemy outpost in Bougainville which denied any forward movement by our troops. The preliminary artillery concentration caused the enemy bunkers to be screened by a litter of felled banana plants, and from these well concealed positions to their front and left the patrols came under extremely fierce machine-gun, grenade and rifle fire. The forward section at once suffered casualties and was pinned down together with two other sections. Private Partridge was a rifleman in a section which, in carrying out an encircling movement immediately came under heavy medium machine-gun fire. He was hit twice in the left arm and again in the left thigh, while the Bren gunner was killed and two others seriously wounded, leaving only the section leader unwounded, but ~ another soldier began to move up from another position. Private Partridge quickly appreciated the extreme gravity of the situation and decided that the only possible solution was personal action by himself. Despite wounds and with complete disregard to his own safety, Private Partridge rushed forward under a terrific burst of enemy fire and retrieved the Bren gun from alongside the dead gunner, when he challenged the enemy to come out and fight. He handed the Bren gun to the newly arrived man to provide covering fire while he rushed this bunker, into which he threw a grenade and silenced the medium machine-gun. Under cover of the grenade burst, he dived into the bunker and, in a fierce hand-to-hand fight, he killed the only living occupant with his knife. Private Partridge then cleared the enemy dead from the entrance to the bunker and attacked another bunker in the rear; but weakness from loss of blood compelled him to halt, when he shouted to his section commander that he was unable to continue. With the way clear by the silencing of the enemy medium machine-gun by Private Partridge, the Platoon moved forward and established a defensive perimeter in the vicinity of the spot where Private Partridge lay wounded. Heavy enemy medium machine-gun and rifle fire both direct and enfilade from other bunkers soon created an untenable situation for the Platoon, which withdrew under its own covering fire. Despite his wounds and weakness due to loss of blood Private Partridge joined in this fight and remained in action until the Platoon had withdrawn after recovering their casualties. The information gained by both patrols, and particularly from Private Partridge, enabled an attack to be mounted later. This led to the capture of a vital position sited on strong defensive ground and strengthened by 43 bunkers and other dug-in positions from which the enemy fired in panic. The serious situation during the fight of the two patrols was retrieved only by the outstanding gallantry and devotion to duty displayed by Private Partridge, which inspired his comrades to heroic action, leading to a successful withdrawal which saved the small force from complete annihilation. The subsequent successful capture of the position was due entirely to the incentive derived by his comrades from the outstanding heroism and fortitude displayed by Private Partridge." (London Gazette: 22 January 1946.)

Postwar
On October 17, 1946 he was discharged from the Army and returned to work o his family's farm and appeared as a champion contestant on the television quiz show "Pick-a-Box" during 1962 and 1963. On March 23, 1964 he was killed in a car accident at age 39 in Macksville, NSW.

Memorials
Partridge is buried at Macksville Cemetery in Macksville, NSW. His grave marker includes the Australian Army crest, Victoria Cross and epitaph "Honoured and loved by all in life and death".

References
London Gazette: 22 January 1946 Victoria Cross Citation - Frank John Partridge
WW2 Nominal Roll - Private Frank John Partridge
FindAGrave - Frank John Partridge (photo, grave photo)
The Hard Slog (2012) by Karl James pages 151-152, 316 (index)