Upson, Albert and Frank

Albert Ernest Upson (1910-1975) and his twin brother Frank Herbert Upson (1910-1992) were born on 28 March 1910 in New Plymouth, the eldest children of Ernest Albert Upson (1881-1961) and Gladys Myra Upson (nee Snowball) (1891-1969).

The large family – there were nine children in total but younger brother Leslie Charles Taylor Upson (1912-1917) died in an accident when the twins were only seven – farmed on Egmont Road in Hillsborough where Albert and Frank attended Hillsborough School.

Albert was working as a labourer in New Plymouth when he enlisted early in 1940, leaving for Trentham Army Camp on 25 January. He served as a Lance Corporal with the 19th (Wellington) Battalion of the NZ Armoured Corps and saw three years of active service in England, Greece, Crete and Tunisia. Albert was welcomed home on furlough with a surprise party in July 1943 and later penned a letter to the editor of the Taranaki Daily News criticising the number of conscientious objectors having their appeals against war service granted. He described himself proudly as having “joined up with the first” and suggested that putting a few ex-servicemen on each appeal board might help persuade other members not to allow men unwilling to “save their mothers, wives, sisters or daughters from becoming slaves to the enemy” get away without doing their part.

Frank served as a Private with the 25^th Battalion of Infantry Reinforcements of the 2^nd NZEF. He was also working as a labourer when he enlisted, not long after Albert, having passed his medical examination in June 1940. Frank was sent to the Middle East and captured in Libya on 23 November 1941. He was initially reported missing but his family were finally informed of his true status by 30 January 1942. Held prisoner in Stalag VIII-B in Germany, then Campo 57 and Campo 85 in Italy, Frank was forced to undertake farm labour and railway work whilst a POW. On a questionnaire later given to him by his liberators, Frank stated that he deliberately broke several picks and shovels during the latter, small acts of sabotage against his captors.

Frank was safely back in Britain by May 1945. He arrived home in New Zealand with a group of 51 other Taranaki men in September of that year and was welcomed with a dance and supper party at Hillsborough Hall on 18 September, Christiansen’s Orchestra providing the music.

The twins’ younger brother Raymond Arthur Upson (1921-2008) also served in the Middle East during the Second World War, returning to Taranaki in December 1945.

Albert Upson died in New Plymouth on 20 October 1975 aged 65 and his ashes are buried in the Services Cremation area of Te Hēnui Cemetery. Frank Upson died in Hamilton on 21 January 1992 aged 81. Neither twin married or had children.