Charles Hazlitt Upham

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Charles Hazlitt Upham

Captain Charles Hazlitt Upham , VC (born September 21, 1908 in Christchurch , New Zealand , † November 22, 1994 ibid) was a New Zealand soldier in World War II . He was the third and so far last soldier to receive the Victoria Cross twice and the only one to whom it was awarded twice in World War II. Upham is also the only combatant soldier to receive the Victoria Cross twice. Captain Upham is often described as the most famous Commonwealth soldier of the war. The Victoria Cross is the Commonwealth's highest military award for bravery in the face of the enemy.

Childhood and youth

Charles Upham was born in Christchurch on September 21, 1908 . He was the son of John Hazlitt Upham and Agata Mary Coates. From 1917 to 1922 he attended Waihi School in Winchester City, South Canterbury. Then he attended Christ's College in Christchurch until 1927. After receiving his diploma, he attended Canterbury Agricultural College, where he received a degree in agriculture in 1930.

He worked as a shepherd on a farm and then became the head of the farm. He later worked for the New Zealand government as a farm inspector, evaluating farms. In 1937 he worked as an assistant in the evaluation department at Timaru. In 1939 he went back to Lincoln where he received a degree in farm management. In 1938 he became engaged to his future wife named Mary (Molly) Eileen McTamney. They married in London after the war and had three daughters.

Second World War

Beginning of the Second World War

After Britain declared war on Germany in September 1939, Upham volunteered for the New Zealand Expeditionary Force . He entered the service as a private, but due to his age, experience in the New Zealand Landwehr, and outspoken personality, he was soon promoted to sergeant. In 1940 his unit was shipped to Egypt . Here he took part in an officer training course and was promoted to lieutenant ( 2nd Lieutenant ) in November 1940 .

Crete

In March 1941, Uphams battalion was relocated to Greece , where it fought against the German invasion . Due to the German superiority, the Commonwealth troops had to retreat to the island of Crete in April . The troops suffered from poor care and illness, the most common of which was dysentery. The German leadership decided to take Crete in a combined sea and air landing operation . One of the main targets was Maleme in northwest Crete, where the island's largest airfield was located.

During the skirmishes for the airfield, Upham stood out for the first time. During a night raid on May 22nd, he eliminated several machine gun nests with hand grenades. In addition, he penetrated with his platoon 500 meters deep into enemy territory to relieve a cut off New Zealand company, where he was wounded in the shoulder by shrapnel. On May 30th, despite another wound, he took part in a counterattack on a German unit that threatened the Allied headquarters in Sfakia . In October 1941, he was awarded the Victoria Cross for his combat services.

Battle of El Alamein

On the orders of his battalion commander, Upham did not take part in Operation Crusader , as he feared that the national hero might fall victim to his daredevils. Upham, meanwhile a company commander, is rebuilding his ailing unit after the heavy fighting in Libya. When he withdrew from Minqar Qaim to the German company Theseus , he again showed outstanding performance in battle. He attacked a truck with German soldiers with hand grenades and overran several German positions, which prevented the retreat of the encircled New Zealand Division. In the first battle of El Alamein on July 14, 1942, he took part in the attack on the Ruweisat Ridge. He was seriously injured several times and was eventually taken prisoner.

Upham as a prisoner of war

Upham was shipped to Italy after his capture. The ship docked in the port of Reggio, from there he traveled by train to Naples and then by truck to the hospital in Caserta. Here his wounds were taken care of. He was later transferred to another hospital in Castel san Pietro.

In March 1943 he was transferred to the POW camp in Modena. Here he tried to escape by climbing onto the roof. However, he could not break through the roof tiles. In September 1943, German soldiers took over the POW camp and began moving the prisoners to other POW camps. Upham was transported in an open truck. As the truck drove over a hill, Upham jumped out and ran away. However, it only got a few hundred meters before being recaptured.

In Germany, Upham first came to Stalag VII B , then to Stalag VC and finally to Oflag VA in Weinsberg near Heilbronn. Upham and other prisoners made several attempts to escape by building tunnels. On Christmas Eve 1943, Upham attempted to climb over the fence and was almost shot. Later he and another prisoner tried to cut through the fence, but they were discovered and had to abandon the attempt to escape. Upham tried to climb over the fences later in broad daylight. It fell down between the fences, becoming entangled in the barbed wire. When a guard pointed a gun at him, Upham calmly lit a cigarette.

After this escape attempt, solitary confinement was ordered for Upham. When he was training there had to be a guard with him. There was also a guard with a machine gun on the parapet. Despite these precautions, Upham ran through the barracks and to the fence. He escaped over the fence and into the street. A group of German soldiers returning to the camp caught him again. The guard on the parapet later told the prisoners that he hadn't shot out of sheer respect.

Upham was moved to Oflag IV-C in Colditz Castle . Accompanied by three soldiers, he was transported by train. He was only allowed to go to the bathroom when the train was moving to prevent him from escaping. Upham broke open the window and jumped out. The next day, one of the soldiers traveling with Upham caught him again. In 1944 Upham arrived in Colditz . On April 15, 1945 he was liberated by the American forces in Colditz. Upham prepared to join forces with American forces, but orders were given to evacuate the prisoners of war. Upham was brought to the UK.

After the war

Charles Upham Monument in Amberley .

While in Britain, he was awarded his first Victoria Cross in May 1945 for valor in the Battle of Crete. In September 1945 he was awarded his second Victoria Cross for his service with El Alamein. Apparently, Upham was a humble man who was ashamed of the attention he received. He believed that he did not deserve the medals because he was only doing his duty as a soldier for his country. In a survey he said: “A person should show his best and he cannot do more than his best. In an international catastrophe everyone has to do their part. "

After returning to New Zealand, he bought a farm in Otago. He lived there with his family until an illness forced him to sell it. He died on November 22, 1994.

According to historian Tony Simpson and Lieutenant Bill Alison, Upham was a man who was not afraid on the battlefield. Simpson believed the reason Upham displayed the absence of fear was a natural risk appetite. Upham wasn't so concerned about his own safety as about that of his comrades. The risks he took on were the reason for the award of two Victoria Crosses.

literature

Web links

Commons : Charles Hazlitt Upham  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ the other two persons to whom the Victoria Cross was awarded twice were British military doctors in the First World War
  2. ↑ a b c d e Charles Upham Reluctant Hero , Maori Television, broadcast April 25, 2013.
  3. ↑ a b Charles Upha . In: New Zealand History . Ministry for Culture & Heritage , accessed September 16, 2018 .
  4. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Kenneth : Mark of the Lion . 1962.
  5. ^ The Telegraph, Captain Charles Upham VC & Bar, (newspaper obituary) November 23, 1994
personal data
SURNAME Upham, Charles Hazlitt
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Upham, Charles
BRIEF DESCRIPTION New Zealand soldier, double Victoria Cross holder
DATE OF BIRTH September 21, 1908
PLACE OF BIRTH Christchurch , New Zealand
DATE OF DEATH November 22, 1994
Place of death Christchurch , New Zealand