William Partridge (soldier)
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William Partridge was born in Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire on 27 June 1858. William moved to Blaina, Monmouthshire when he was a young boy with his parents. He enlisted into the 24th Regiment of Foot at Newport on 7 June 1877 having previously served in the Royal Monmouthshire Militia.
William was one of a draft that joined the 2/24th in South Africa in July 1878. In January 1879, he was one of the small garrison at Rorke's Drift which held out from over 12 hours when the mission station was attacked by a Zulu force of 4,500 warriors. Following the end of the Zulu war, William remained with the 2nd Battalion when it moved to Gibraltar, but was soon back in Great Britain.
Marriage
Whilst at the Regimental Depot in Brecon, William met, and in November 1880 married, local girl Mary Reeves. Mary was the sister to Sarah Reeves who in 1876 had married Corporal William Wilson Allen – Corporal Allen was awarded a Victoria Cross for his actions at Rorke's Drift.
Service and later life
William Partridge was medically discharged with a pension from the army in November 1881. On 16 April 1930, he died at Blaina, aged 71 years.