He definitely didn’t want to be there. You can see it. Such a brave and humble guy. He’s the reason as a 17 year old kid I joined the army. Superman isn’t real, Captain Charles Upham was. As a 50 year old now, I still look at this guy in awe. Kia Kaha Captain Upham. God bless ya.
Survivor's guilt. VC winners feel it the worst because they lived when they were utterly convinced that they must die - which was a choice in the heat of battle. He faced that twice (at least). So all he can think about is all the men he lost who he regards as the real heroes. He doesn't care two hoots about his medals. All he cares about is the men that, to him - and he's the only witness - were cut to pieces in the attack. That's all he remembers and what he has to live with. Yet, in the grip of that psychological torment, he still projects and maintains outward control - the man we see. To the 2023 mind, that's just suffering. To a man like Charles Upham, that's his best valediction to those he lost in battle. That's called strength of character. That's called dignity. That's called remembrance. So, if I had a choice between Charles Upham's value system and the "values" of 2023, I know precisely, without any doubt, which one I must choose - and why.
Even in 2023 this is so special to remember a most remarkable Kiwi what an incredible bloke. A true gentleman and humble human being. I hope he’s remembered permanently in some way in NZ. Charles Upham VC and bar.
+George Tsampas My family remember also the kindness, generosity and great courage of your people in hiding and caring for the New Zealand soldiers who were unable to be evacuated from your beautiful Island. Discovery meant possible death for your people - also bravery of the highest order. For these actions thank you also from New Zealand.
+George Tsampas My family remember also the kindness, generosity and great courage of your people in hiding and caring for the New Zealand soldiers who were unable to be evacuated from your beautiful Island. Discovery meant possible death for your people - also bravery of the highest order. For these actions thank you also from New Zealand.
Charles let a little stray cat who gave birth on his camp bed, stay where she was, and threw some blankets on the floor, to sleep, although exhausted. He was a great lover of animals. If you sponsored a cat - or dog at Jutta Shelter, at Iereptera, on Crete, or adopted, if you are a kind home, I am sure Charles Upham would be touched. I support Jutta from Australia, but I have no links with the man who runs it, Iannis. I run my own rescue in Australia. The other thing you could do, as a thanks to Charles, is to desex your cats, if not desexed. Charles was famed, as you would have heard, as a great animal lover. There is also a donkey rescue set up on the west of Crete? Run by a Greek man and his New Zealand wife. They rescue donkeys and sponsor farriers to visit neglected working donkeys and give free hoof trims, on Crete. Did you know that some Greeks take old - often over 30 years old, or broken down, donkeys, out into isolated areas, tie them to trees and leave them with no water or food, unable to leave the tree, to die! If found in time, the donkey rescue takes them in. Any of these causes that you helped, would make Charles nod and smile and be very happy.
What have we lost. What have we become. All the men there were so well spoken, considered, impeccably dressed, mannered and gallant. A generation we shall always remember, from a time we should never forget.
Replaced by people like you who do nothing but whinge and moan. Bloody crybaby. Have a bit of dignity and appreciate what you’ve got instead of moaning all the time. All you lot wetting your pants over a past you weren’t even alive to see are as bad as each other, feeling sorry for yourselves about some fantasy of a time you only know from films. Grow up, you wet blanket.
Why can't you accept that greatness existed then, and exists now? Times change. Honestly, you think Charlie Upham would have time for this whining of yours on youtube?
Count Dankula sent me here , now I’m in tears 😭. Just so moving to see such men and such humility and just brave brave brave men all gone now ..... but I hope and pray never forgotten
Not sure he was so happy on this suprise. He d prefer his sheep and a hill and no profile or low profile. This is how Charles will be remembered. Extreme low profile. Old kiwi style. Men now should learn from him. RIP Charles. Deeply respected
I feel sorry for them all being dragged in front of everyone with all these strong emotions and dark memories. These heroes need to be celebrated more, salute from UK. 🇬🇧🇳🇿
100% this host has no clue what men like Charles Upham sacrificed and the trauma they faced. A credit to Charles character to go along with this and have to relive so many brutal and dark memories
I was very privileged when he invited my husband were invited by him, to his home for afternoon tea. He was a lovely man and extremely humble. One of the greatest of NZers
This man's reactions and modesty are a mark of the true hero he was. He is definitly more at ease when he was praising his men. Outstanding and so inspirational.
At that age he still has respect for rank... waits until his former Brig to sit first. I sat at the grave of Capt Charles Upham VC and bar at the Papanui cemetery last Anzac day. A great man that, along with everyone who served, must be remembered. Lest we forget.
@@peterstevens6555 yeah mate, attached to the Church next to the RSA on Harewood Road and Papanui Rd intersection. His grave is right next to the railway line.
@@JC-zt1zu Yeah! I remember now! Haven't been back there in years, use to live at Richards Ave. When I played for Canterbury I use to run from home to the top to the sign of the kiwi and back again!
I love the Kiwi's. I am English but from Scottish/Italian heritage. I spent 3 months in NZ in 2006 and felt so at home. Massive love to all Kiwi's. You are amazing.
What can I say about men like C. H. Upham?? Unlimited respect and thanks! They came from half a world away to fight in a foreign land, a land they owed nothing to, much less their lives, and still they gave it their best! From Greece, an eternal "thanks" and our unlimited respect for ANZACs that fought and died here. I doubt we'll ever be able to return the favor!
Did you know when he was younger, operating in the desert, he came in after an operation, exhausted and wanting to just fall onto his camp bed. When he walked into his tent, the little stray cat that had been adopted by the men, had chosen his camp bed to give birth. Seeing the newborns, he simply found some blankets, threw them on the floor, and lay down on the floor, leaving the cat in comfort. You could adopt or sponsor a rescued cat on Crete, at Jutta shelter, in his memory? That would be a sweet tribute that Charles would appreciate. Jutta also has dogs to adopt or sponsor. I have nothing to gain telling you. I support Jutta, but run my own rescue in Australia. Charles Upham VC and Bar, is a particular hero of mine. I think, in fact, they have a cat called Charles, needing adoption!
The photo of Upham in the barbed wire,is one of the greatest images of Allied Gallantry during the whole war.....and there are many of them. Upham sat there, tangled in the wire, German rifles trained on him...cigarette in mouth, shit eating grin on his face.....a young man's face saying 'you lot won't beat us.....not in a million years'.
The respect that the man got from the guests made me tear up Gone are the days of men like him, I remember my grandfather being very similar Now we have to deal with reality tv and other crap Those guys would be embarrassed to see what the world they fought for had become
my grandad was on crete and became p.o.w and sent to Austria for the rest of the war he spoke very highly of the new Zealand men,nice to see some of the brave men he once fought along side. very proud grandson of william robertshaw and this story will be passed on down to my children.
In his book it was revealed that he was recommended for a third VC (second bar) but, the executive officers felt that nobody would believe it and so diminish the value of the first two. His book is great.
A great man. I read after the war he returned to work on his farm, never allowing German machinery on the farm. He was very out spoken when the UK joined the Common Market, now the European Union in 1973.
But what about the utter savagery of the Japanese? Slaughtering nurses. Slaughtering POWS. Vivian Bullwinkle the only survivor of one massacre. Ben Hackney the only survivor of another massacre of surrendered troops. His evidemce resulted in 3 warcrime executions, postwar. The torture of prisoners, totally unnecessarily and even cannibalism! There is one fairly quiet report - it is so awful to read, it isn't easy to find - or wasn't when I hunted it down, about 3 American air crew... You cannot read about the Pacific war without a very strong stomach! Though on the Allies side, they contacted the cannibal tribes of Papua New Guinea who had been persuaded to give up cannibalism by Christian missionaries, and they were told Japanese didn't count in the ban - and that resulted in a relatively huge number of Japanese disappearing, given the handful of Allied men working for the military.
I feel sorry for the man. He never wanted this but he deserved it. Being humble is a glorious trait. It's hard to be an introvert in a world that wants everyone to be special. God bless this man's soul.
I've been looking for the story of Charles Upham for some time....serendipity is such a wonderful thing....I marvel at such a wonderful, modest, humble human being.
Was watching Jeremy Clarkesons VC program, and saw this man's name mentioned in the comments. He looked uncomfortable at the start of this program, warmed as more of his comrades appeared, and glowing at the end when his closest men walked in. Glad they made this tribute to him and that it is uploaded for all to see what it takes to be this remarkable. Much respect, hi from England.
I very much doubt that Charles would like being on this program.. he never spoke much about his achievement, nor much about the war. My father and Charles never ever spoke about their war experiences. Such loving men who loved animals and people. It was so hard for us, my brother and I to believe these two men ever fought in a war. RIP two very wonderful men.
He looked way more comfortable trapped in barbed wire with German guns pointed at him than he did here. I'm not sure I could imagine a better example of a human. The Germans should have tried to put him on TV and give him awards, his only kryptonite apparently.
I was wondering if they were going to pull the "and for the last guest, we searched long and hard. The Colditz commandant you hated so much, Colonel Eggy!"
Just reading Tom Scott's excellent ' Searching for Charlie in pursuit of the real Charles Upham VC and Bar.' I'm 67years old and like so many of that generation grew up knowing of the great exploits the 2nd NZ Div .. ' Mark of a Lion ' was a much read and known story .. and this book just adds so much more to that story ..and gives a wonderful feel of how we were in those days .. and the type of men that went to that war.
I’ve known about this man since I was fourteen. I’m now fifty seven . These men now are largely forgotten and it’s a goddam shame . People are called heroes for coming out or saving a puppy. I’m glad these true heroes are not around to see how their children and grandchildren have destroyed everything they valiantly fought for . God bless them all ..
Charles Upham was famous for taking in and helping animals, through the war, not just before the war, and after. He would have much more in common with animal rescuers than people with your attitude When he was a young junior officer, in the war, having returned from a desert op, exhausted, he walked into his tent and the little cat adopted by the men, drawn to Charles and his gentle care, had just given birth on Charles' camp bed. Charles simply collected a few blankets, threw them on the floor, and slept there, leaving her in comfort, on his camp bed, as safe as she could be, in the middle of the war. Your sneering remark would likely cause Charles to fix a beady eye on you, and write you off as anyone he wanted to know. People who rescue do not label themselves as heroes. Other people over enthusiastically label them so. It is not something they claimed or wanted - and in some places, people who rescue, including in some places in Greece, have angry locals abuse them, trespass, hurt animals, yell abuse in the street. I am glad I do not know you and even more glad I am not related to you.
I might add that in the past, coming out could see you beaten up, some young men were lyn ched, some 'uppity' young women were ra ped to 'train' them to be normal. It was extremely brave to come out. It is STILL extremely brave to come out in some rabidly religious Baptist areas in the southern states of America. You want to sneer at gays? Then sneer at Jimmy Edwards, DFC, the High Tory, hunting comedian, whose huge moustache hid scars from a fighter crash landing, who married and spent his life terrified of being outed as gay. Who also occasionally hung out with Prince Philip who knew and didn't care. And of course EVRRYBODY knows about The Duke of Kent, WW2. Are you going to sneer at Ian Gleed DFC, adored by his men, famed for personally coaching new arrivals in the tricks he learnt in the Battle of France and Battle of Britain. He wrote a memoir before being killed in action. His publisher said it was pretty obvious he wasn't interested in women, so they invented a fiancee named Pamela. When the book came out, his family said, Who the hell is Pamela?" When he was killed, the Publisher had hundreds of letters sent to him to forward to Pamela. Would have given Ian a wry grin. He was fairly open about being gay and his men never gave him away. His story only came out when an elderly squadron member remarked that he had had sex with Ian fairly soon after he arrived. He felt he had nothing to hide, in the present time, as an old man, in very educated middle class circles. There were gays all over Military Intelligence, on front lines... BUT AT THE TIME, if they were open, they could be gaoled, dishonourably discharged and whilst so many men and women were hiding their sexuality to serve in the front lines, a lot of straight men were PRETENDING TO BE GAY, to get out of serving in the war. There was a Pacific Island posting that was the dream post for gay Americans and Australians, in WW2. Your remarks just expose your ignorance. You want to sneer at Trans people being heroes? First male to female sex change, in the UK, post war, was an ex racing car driver, wartime spitfire pilot, Robert Cowell. Became Roberta. One of the ATA girls, Irene Joy Ferguson, quietly changed sex post war, putting an advert in the paper that she would now be known as Jonathan. The only change in her life, was she earned more in her civil service job, because men were paid more than women, doing the same job. I have spent well over a decade researching gays, trans, SOE, Allied Air Forces, some Luftwaffe, Jews in the frontline, some other special interest groups, in WW2. When I read sneery remarks like yours, it sickens me. Anyone who reads what Alan Turing did to possibly shorten the war by years - NOT my estimate - and reads what was done to him, by an ignorant, ungrateful nation, will never let remarks like yours lie there in their ugliness. Coming out NOW can still cause families and previous friends to abandon you. It can still leave you with a career destroyed, but no proof. It can still mean a mad religionist feels entitled to ki ll. Have you done ANYTHING in your life that needs that much bravery? And no, I am not gay, but to me, it is of as much importance as saying if I am blonde or brunette. I wouldn't care. But I would know I would have to put up with sneers from people like you - and rare nutters that still think someone - or indeed, I, should di e because you don't approve of who they - or I, love...
Upham was one of only three recipients of the VC and bar. One of the others was Noel Chavasse, who was a distant cousin of Uphams. The third was Arthur Martin-Leake, who commanded the medical unit that treated the fatally wounded Noel Chavasse.
It was Charles Upham's wife who was the distant cousin of Noel Chevasse. She was a nurse in a Liverpool hospital the Upham was invalided to after the war and his release from Colditz, prior to his repatriation to NZ! Noel Chevasse's father was Bishop of Liverpool, and Noel served as a medical officer with the Liverpool Scottish. There is no proof that Arthur Leake-Martin treated Noel, but was in overall charge. So the three dual-VC winners are linked.
fascinating to watch this, so reserved and understated. Little fuss or emotion and yet those old boys would have gone through some real horrors. I only just discovered this great man today after reading about his escape attempts. What a courageous man.
The legacy of such a man serves as an inspiration to all men and women for generations. I do not think these characteristics are gone with his generation. Nor do I pruesumtiously think he would have wanted it to.
VC & Bar, that's almost beyond comprehension. VC recipients alway's seem almost ashamed, they simply do not accept they were worthy of such an award, and do not like talking about the events leading to their award, but receiving a second VC, that's beyond comprehension. A remarkable achievement and such a quiet unsuspecting man.
Thank you for posting this having read his obituary of this man it is great to see him actually in person and his loyalty to the British Commonwealth is immense. One of the 'great Brexiteers' of the sixties who spoke on behalf of the NZ government against the U.K. joining the then Common Market, he called it back then totally right. What is not shown here is when King George VI question over the validity of his second VC his commanding officers said he deserved it many times over!
Very moving to watch this today. NZ has slipped a lot, we don’t see many men of their bearing and modesty any more. They would not stand for the crime and gutlessness we see today.
This is painful to watch, he clearly didn't want the attention and would probably have preferred to run a marathon than be there. It is strange that real heroes are often very humble and self-effacing.
Outstanding Human. Doing some research on the battle of Crete and came across this hero, I will need to ask the guys making a Mod for Post Scriptum on this battle to pay homage to Upham. Thanks for the upload.
