3627 Private A Aldridge, 2nd Battalion the Bedfordshire Regiment. Served in the 6th Mounted Infantry. He deployed with his battalion to South Africa for the Second Anglo Boer War, sailing on the Sumatra about 16 Dec 1899, and arrived at the Cape about 8 Jan 1900. Along with the 1st Royal Irish Regiment, the 2nd Wiltshire, and 2nd Worcestershire, they composed the 12th Brigade under Major General R A P Clements. On arrival they were sent to the Colesberg or central district of Cape Colony, to prevent Boer incursions. In Feb 1900 as the Boer forces withdrew, they followed up the main Army advance to Bloemfontein and Pretoria, and by the end of May were at Senekal, to prevent Steyn's Boer army from breaking south. They were involved in the capture of Bethlehem on 7 Jul 1900 and the surrender of Prinsloo and over 4000 Boer troops. The battalion remained in the Orange Free State for some time and later were in a column under Major General Bruce Hamilton which operated from Kroonstad. Throughout the campaign the Mounted Infantry of the regiment did excellent work. One section under Lieutenant Stevens was at Colesberg, the relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, Driefontein, Sannah's Post, all Ian Hamilton's actions, Diamond Hill, and the surrender of Prinsloo. Private Aldridge was killed in action at Graspan, near Reitz, Orange River Colony. He is also commemorated on the Bedfordshire Regiment Boer War memorial plaque in St Paul's Church, Bedford, Bedfordshire (see: http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Bedfordshire/BedfordStPaulsBoerWar.html) and on the Bedfordshire Boer War memorial outside the Swan Hotel, 1 High Street, Bedford, Bedfordshire, England (see: https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/120678).