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Charles Upham VC and Bar
Charles Hazlitt Upham (centre), seen here with members of his platoon in North Africa. He fought with the NZ Division in Greece in March 1941, then in Crete in May. His remarkable bravery during the bitter fighting on Crete earned him a Victoria Cross, awarded in October 1941.
In June and July 1942 Upham again showed tremendous courage leading his men in ferocious actions at Minqar Qaim and Ruweisat Ridge in the North African desert. In the latter battle he was wounded and captured by the Germans. After trying to escape from captivity several times, in 1944 he was sent to the notorious German prison at Colditz. After he was liberated in 1945, the military authorities decided that his actions at Minqar Qaim and Ruweisat Ridge merited the addition of a bar to his VC. As a result, he became one of only three people ever to win the Victoria Cross twice.
Alexander Turnbull Library,
Reference: DA-02108
Further information and copies of this image may be obtained from the Library through its 'Timeframes' website, http://timeframes.natlib.govt.nz
Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.
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YahooHow to cite this page: 'Charles Upham VC and Bar', URL: http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/charles-upham-crete, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 11-May-2009
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