Frederick George Topham
Corporal, 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion
- Register No.
- 1220 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Corporal all Corporals →
- Unit
- 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion all 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion VCs →
- Date of action
- 24 March 1945 on this day → all of 1945 →
- Conflict / campaign
- Second World War
- London Gazette
- 3rd August 1945 on this day → all of 1945 →
- Born
- 10th August 1917 at Toronto, Canada
- Died
- 31st May 1974 at Etobicoke, Canada
- Memorial / grave
- at Sanctuary Park Cemetery, Itobecoke, Canada
- Medal held by
- the Canadian Force Airborne Museum, Petawawa,
Digest of citation
Two medical orderlies had been killed whilst attending to a wounded man on the 24th March, 1945 at Diersfordter, North West Europe. On his own initiative, Corporal Topham went out to continue their work and was injured through the nose. Despite his wound, he attended to the casualty and then brought the man in under continuous and heavy fire, and further refusing any medical treatment himself until all the casualties were cleared. He rescued three men from a disabled carrier, later in the day, despite the fact that the ammunition on board the carrier was exploding
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
TOPHAM, Frederick George. (reg No. 1220).
Corporal. 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion.
London Gazetted on 3rd August 1945.
VC Medal's Custodian is the Canadian Force Airborne Museum, Petawawa, Canada.
Born on 10th August 1917 at Toronto, Canada.
Died on 31st May 1974 at Etobicoke, Canada.
Memorial on grave at Sanctuary Park Cemetery, Itobecoke, Canada.
Digest of Citation reads: Two medical orderlies had been killed whilst attending to a wounded man on the 24th March, 1945 at Diersfordter, North West Europe. On his own initiative, Corporal Topham went out to continue their work and was injured through the nose. Despite his wound, he attended to the casualty and then brought the man in under continuous and heavy fire, and further refusing any medical treatment himself until all the casualties were cleared. He rescued three men from a disabled carrier, later in the day, despite the fact that the ammunition on board the carrier was exploding.
Canada.
Visit the grave or memorial
Alf recorded the memorial as: at Sanctuary Park Cemetery, Itobecoke, Canada
Map links open a search for the place name Alf recorded; please check opening times and exact locations before travelling. Many VC graves have since been restored by the Victoria Cross Trust.
Research this recipient further
Would you like to honour Frederick George Topham by sponsoring this page from £1 a month — in memory of someone, in your own name or for your company? Sponsor this page.