John Upton was born in Birmingham to John and Caroline Upton. John senior died in Spring 1901. Caroline Upton remarried early in 1915 in Dartford to Charles F Wakefield. They came to live in Commondale Road in Welling, part of the hutments development.
It has not been possible to ascertain when John enlisted, however, he served with the 1st/6th Royal Warwickshire Regiment, which was stationed at Birmingham at the outbreak of war. The regiment was mobilised for war and landed at Le Havre on 22nd March 1915. They were engaged in various actions on the Western Front.
The 1st/6th took part in the Battle of Broodseinde on 4th October and this is most likely where John was wounded. He died of wounds on 7th October 1917. It is very possible that John was taken to one of the Casualty Clearing Stations as the 4th, 7th and 61st CCS were posted in Dozinghem and the military cemetery was used by all of them until early in 1918.
Westvleteren was outside the front held by Commonwealth forces in Belgium during the First World War. In July 1917, in readiness for the forthcoming offensive, groups of casualty clearing stations were placed at three positions fondly called by the troops: Mendinghem, Dozinghem and Bandaghem.
John is buried in Dozinghem Cemetery alongside a further 30 of his Royal Warwickshire comrades.
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