Ivan Stanley John Upson

A Private with the 4th Battalion, Ivan died on 28th of November 1943 aged 22. 

Ivan was born at Lowestoft on 25 May 1921, a son of James Thomas and Ivy Florence Elizabeth Upson. He was baptised at Saint Margaret's Church on 16 June 1921, and his family lived at 83 Seago Street. Ivan was working as a yarn twister when he enlisted.

In autumn 1939 the 4th Battalion Suffolk Regiment was on guard duty in the Lowestoft area and from July to September 1940 had various local deployments, including guarding Great Yarmouth. The Battalion then moved to Bedfordshire and then Scotland until April 1941. Next the Battalion moved to Bury, Lancashire, and Hereford, before embarking on the S.S. Andes at Liverpool and sailing for Halifax, Nov Scotia. The Battalion changed ship, to the American liner Wakefield, and sailed for Trinidad and then Cape Town, arriving on 9 December 1941. The Battalion was given three days shore leave.

The Battalion was part of 54 Brigade in the 18th (East Anglian) Division. 

With the Japanese entry into the war the Battalion was now allocated to the Far East and sailed for India, arriving on 5 January 1942. The Battalion had three weeks of training before embarking at Bombay and sailing for Singapore, arriving on 29 January 1942. The Battalion had orders to defend the Golf Course and then fell back to defend the perimeter before the Singapore garrison was forced to surrender on 15 February 1942. 

Ivan was reported missing in the Fall of Singapore on 15 February 1942 and later noted to be a prisoner of war in Japanese hands. Ivan died from malaria at Tamoran a camp on the Burma Railway. In January 1946 his body was exhumed and he was then reburied at the Kanchanaburi Military Cemetery.