CHARLES HAZLITT UPHAM

“EVERY MAN IN THE COMPANY AND EVERY MAN IN THE BATTALION IS SATISFIED THAT THE AWARD WAS MADE TO THE RIGHT MAN. HE WAS… UNQUESTIONABLY THE FINEST FIGHTING SOLDIER THAT IT HAD THROUGHOUT THE OPERATION”
Lieutenant Colonel Howard Kippenberger

Just before his 31st birthday in September 1939, Charles Upham volunteered as a private in the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. He had been in the territorials but refused to join at any higher rank. He was soon singled out for his qualities and made temporary lance corporal, but refused to attend the Officer Cadet Training Unit because he feared that such training would delay his departure for Europe. He was determined to learn everything he could and excelled in the use of the bayonet, machine gun and hand grenade. He once complained at the futility of having to miss bayonet practice in order to lay a lawn at camp headquarters. By the end of training his clear leadership abilities had been recognised and he had been made sergeant. Upham sailed with the first New Zealand troops for Egypt in December 1939.

In July 1940 Upham was finally persuaded to attend officer training (despite his known lack of respect for army conventions and