John Pierce Upton

Lieutenant

Conflict:

WW2

Additional Information:

Son of Percy Henry and Florence Sarah Nihill Upton; husband of Marion Henderson Upton, of Remuera, Auckland.

References:

CWGC

NZ WAR GRAVES

Biographical Notes:

John Pierce Upton was born on 14 April 1913 at Remuera, Auckland, New Zealand, the only son of Mr. Percy Henry Upton and Mrs. Florence Sarah Nihil Upton of 67 Remuera Road, Remuera, Auckland. He was an old boy of King’s College, Auckland, and a member of the Auckland Operatic Society. In 1937 he graduated in law from Auckland University and immediately travelled to England before joining the firm of Russell McVeigh as a solicitor. He was also a member of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and an experienced sailor, being a member of the ‘A’ Class keeler “Waitangi’ on Auckland Harbour (‘New Zealand Herald’ 18 4.42). In October 1940 he married Marion Henderson Frater (1921 – 2006) at St Mark’s Church, Remuera. They had no children. John Upton volunteered for naval service and left for Singapore the following month (November 1940) to serve in Coastal defence craft. (Michael Pether)

The HMS Fanling was sunk by enemy gunfire in the Banka Straits, 16th February 1942

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Casualty

Name:

John Pierce Upton

Rank:

Lieutenant

Date of Birth:

14 April 1913

Place of Birth:

Auckland, New Zealand

Next of Kin:

Marion Henderson Upton (wife), Remuera, Auckland, New Zealand

Date of Enlistment:

Not known

Occupation on Enlistment:

Solicitor

Unit:

Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve, HMS Fanling

Casualty Details

Cause of Death:

Killed in action

Date of Death:

16 February 1942

Day of Death:

Monday

Age at Death:

Conflict:

WW2

Embarkation Details

Embarkation Body:

Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR)

Text in italics supplied by Cenotaph Online, Auckland War Memorial Museum

Cemetery

Cemetery:

New Zealand Naval Memorial, Devonport, Auckland

Cemetery Reference:

Panel 7.

Cemetery Location:

New Zealand