Charles Upham

• He


  • Born into a humble family in Christchurch in 1908
  • His father was a lawyer
  • Attended Waihi School near Timaru, Christ's College in Christchurch
  • Studied at Canterbury Agricultural College (Lincoln Uni) to pursue a farming career
• His military service


  1. Enlisted in the 2NZEF in late 1939

  2. Joined the 20th Canterbury-Otago Battalion at Burnham Camp

  3. Declined a place in an Officer Cadet Training Unit (OCTU) fearing it would delay his departure overseas

  4. Promoted to Sergeant due to his training methods

  5. Sailed to Egypt in 1939

  6. Joined an OCTU in 1940

  7. Commissioned second lieutenant of a 20th Battalion platoon
• Where did he fight?

  • He first fought in Greece, later evacuated and fought in Crete, both in 1941.
  • He then fought in Egypt in 1942
• Icy Fury scenario

  • during a night counter-attack on Maleme airfield by the 20th and the 28th (Maori) Battalion (22 May)
  • Upham led his platoon over heavily defended ground
  • after 4 of his men got shot, he was possessed by an ‘Icy Fury’
  • he destroyed machine-gun posts with hand grenades.
  • after failed attack, he evacuated wounded soldiers, penetrated 600 yards into German territory to bring out an Isolated NZ company.
  • wounded in the shoulder by mortar fire.
• In October 1941 he was awarded the Victoria Cross for his exceptional gallantry on Crete.

  • he believed many others deserved it more.
• 27th of June 1942

  • German forces attacked the division’s positions at Minqar Qaim.
  • under heavy fire, he guided his men and lead them in an ‘inspiring fashion’ and overrunning several enemy posts.
  • Upham and one of his men destroyed a truck full of Germans with hand grenades (slightly wounded his arms from his hand grenades)
• Ruweisat Ridge - New Zealand Divsion’s disastrous attack

  • Upham was wounded in the leg after a successful bayonet charge by shrapnel (before this he gathered information from the battalions leading the assault)
  • captured and sent to a prison camp in Italy
  • he was transferred to Germany in 1943
  • he was sent to the special camp in Colditz for habitual escapers in 1944
  • when Colditz was liberated in 1945, he was sent to Britain where he married Molly Mctamney (nurse).
• Upham was awarded a bar to the Victoria Cross for his actions at Minqar Qaim and Ruweisat Ridge.

  • when it was announced in September 1945 he reacted quietly. He felt some pride but thought many others deserved it more.