C5.6.3 Famous New Zealanders: Charles Upham
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This article is from the New Zealand FAQ, by Phil Stuart-Jones and Lin Nah with numerous contributions by others.
C5.6.3 Famous New Zealanders: Charles Upham
Howard Edwards wrote:
"Captain Charles Upham (retired), New Zealand's most decorated soldier and
veteran of World War Two, died last Tuesday and was buried with full
military honours after a service in Christchurch cathedral on Friday.
Upham was awarded two Victoria crosses for exceptional bravery during WWII.
"A modest hero. Upham never saw himself as anything other than a New
Zealander doing his duty. He refused to accept any land offered to
returning servicemen after the war, and also turned down a knighthood. He
spent the remainder of his years on his North Canterbury farm and avoided
the spotlight of fame which the media oocasionally tried to shine upon
him."
----
Lyndon Watson wrote:
"I took my father, who served with Charlie Upham in the 20th, to the
funeral on Friday, and I found the subject too close to many emotions to
write about for all the world to read.
"Upham's battalion, the 20th, was, in my biased opinion, the most
distinguished of all New Zealand regiments in the Second World War.
Together with the other battalions that comprised the 4th Brigade (the 18th
Auckland, 19th Wellington and 20th South Island battalions), it was made up
of the first and keenest men who volunteered in 1939, and it bore the brunt
of the actions in Crete (where Upham won his first V.C. for attacking and
destroying machine-gun posts in face of their fire), at Belhamed, and at
Ruweisat Ridge which was, like Stalingrad in the same year, one of the
crucial battles of the war (and where Upham won his second V.C. for running
in the open at advancing tanks and attacking them with hand-grenades). At
each of those battles the 20th was nearly destroyed, and it was rebuilt
each time around the survivors who somehow kept its extraordinary spirit
alive. Its third Victoria Cross was won by Sergeant Jack Hinton, who died
in June 97.
"When Upham returned from the war, the people of Canterbury raised
10,000 pounds by public donation to buy him a farm. That was enough to
buy a very good farm, but Upham declined and had the money put into an
educational trust. He eventually bought a houseless block with a rehab.
loan and turned it into a farm with his own hard work."
-----
Charles Upham died in November 1994.
------
Bernard Freyberg:
James Lawry wrote:
Started as a Morrinsville dentist, distinguished himself at Gallipoli,
3 DSOs and a VC (for personal valour in the battle for
Beaucourt). Major-General in WWII commanding 2nd NZ Epeditionary
force. As Lieut. General Sir Bernard Freyberg he was Governor-General
of NZ for 6 years.
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