Platoon History

1941; Crete, Greece and 1942; Ruweisat Ridge, Egypt

Upham was a New Zealand officer serving in the 20th Battalion, 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force in North Africa and Europe during World War 2.

Upham was awarded his first Victoria Cross for actions in Crete. Upham personally took out several machine-gun posts which were holding up his soldiers, at one point crawling to within 15 feet of a machine gun post before throwing a grenade. Upon the retreat, Upham rallied several men to assist in transporting wounded men. Upham then travelled through 600 yards of enemy territory to contact a company that had become isolated, brining it back to the Battalion's new position.

Upham received a bar to his VC during the First Battle of El Alamein. Upham led the company he was commanding on an attack on two German strongpoints whilst under heavy fire, personally destroying a tank and several guns and vehicles. Wounded, Upham continued to command the situation until a violent enemy counter-attack was repelled. Upham was later captured by German forces and held in a POW camp. After several unsuccessful escape attempts, he was transferred to the notorious Colditz Prison until the end of the war.

Upham is one of only three people to receive the Victoria Cross twice, and the only combat soldier to do so. Some consider him to be the most decorated Commonwealth soldier of World War 2.

1941; Kalamata, Greece

Hinton was a New Zealand solder serving in the 20th Battalion, 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force in Europe during World War 2.

In April 1941, a column of German troops entered the port in Kalamata, Greece, during the New Zealand retreat. Organising a counter-attack, Hinton ran to within several yards of the nearest enemy gun, killing the crew. Hinton then chased another fun crew, forcing them to abandon their 6" gun and retreat into nearby houses. Hinton successfully overcame the Germans in both houses and held the German guns along with fellow New Zealand soldiers until German reinforcements arrived, forcing the New Zealanders to withdraw. Hinton was wounded and captured by the German reinforcements, spending the remainder of the war in a POW camp, making several unsuccessful escape attempts, before returning to New Zealand after the war.

1917; Polderhoek, Belgium

On 3 December 1917 at Polderhoek, Belgium, Private Nicholas, who was one of a Lewis gun section which was checked by heavy machine-gun and rifle fire from an enemy strong-point, went forward followed by the remainder of his section at an interval of about 25 yards, shot the officer in command of the strong-point and overcame the remainder of the garrison of 16 with bombs and bayonets, capturing four wounded prisoners and a machine-gun. He captured the strong-point practically single-handed and thereby saved many casualties. Subsequently he went out and collected ammunition under heavy machine-gun and rifle fire.

Nicholas was killed near Vertigneul, France, on 23 October 1918. His Victoria Cross is on display at the Canterbury Museum.