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Cenotaph record

John Pierce Upton

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Portrait of Sub Lieutenant John Pierce Upton, Auckland Weekly News, 29 April 1942. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections AWNS-19420429-22-1. Image has no known copyright restrictions.

Portrait of Sub Lieutenant John Pierce Upton, Auckland Weekly News, 29 April 1942. Auckland Librarie …

Identity

About

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  • Title
  • Forenames
    John Pierce AWMM
  • Surname
    Upton AWMM
  • Ingoa
  • Also known as
  • Service number
  • Gender
    Male AWMM
  • Iwi
  • Hapū
  • Waka
  • Rohe
  • Religion

Civilian life

About birth

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  • Birth
    14 April 1913 AWMM AWMM
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Birth notes
  • Address before enlistment
  • Post war occupation
  • Next of kin on embarkation
    Marion Henderson Upton (wife), Remuera, Auckland, New Zealand AWMM
  • Relationship status
    Unknown AWMM Married AWMM

Service

Wars and conflicts

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  • War
    World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
  • Campaign
  • Armed force / branch
    Navy AWMM
  • Service number
  • Military service
  • Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers

Military decorations

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Training and Enlistment

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  • Military training
  • Branch Trade Proficiency
  • Enlistment
    WW2 Unknown AWMM Solicitor/Civilian AWMM
  • Occupation before enlistment
  • Age on enlistment

Embarkations

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Prisoner of war

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  • Capture details
  • Days interned
  • Liberation date
  • Liberation Repatriation
  • POW liberation details
  • POW serial number

Medical history

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  • Medical notes
    Killed in Action, Cause of Death AWMM

Biographical information

Biographical information

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  • John Upton was the son of Percy Henry and Florence Sarah Nihill Upton. He was the husband of Marion Henderson Upton of Remuera.

    Attended Kings College 1926-1930 where he was a member of School House.

    He graduated LLB at Auckland University and joined the staff of Messrs Russell McVeagh.

    He was a keen sportsman and photographer with a special devotion to yachting as a member of the RNZ Yacht Squadron.

    He volunteered for naval service and left for Singapore in November 1940 to serve in Coastal Defence craft and early in 1942 a motor vessel.

    Commanded the motor vessel HMS Fanling, carrying evacuees and a number of army staff officers, the ship was intercepted by a Japanese cruiser in the Banka Strait, Sumatra. She opened fire with her four-pounder gun but was quickly sunk. Upton was killed in this action. AWMM
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Death

About death

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  • Death
    16 February 1942 AWMM
    Age 28 AWMM
    Banka Straits, Sumatra AWMM
  • Date of death
  • Age at death
  • Place of death
  • Cause of death
    Killed in Action AWMM
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
  • Cemetery name
  • Grave reference
  • Obituary
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

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  • Memorial name
    • New Zealand Naval Memorial, Devonport Naval Base, HMNZS Philomel, Devonport, Auckland, New Zealand AWMM
    • King's College Golf Ave, Otahuhu, Auckland 1062 AWMM
    • St. Aidans Church, 5 Ascot Avenue, Remuera, Auckland 1050 AWMM

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Sources

Sources

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Contributors

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DateFirst namesLocationRelationshipContact
10 June 2017TonyNew ZealandOther relative

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