# Cpl Fred Topham VC project



## RatCatcher (27 Sep 2004)

Hey everyone, 
this came to my attention earlier today and I beleive its a worthwhile cause.  Our military history is starting to come to a resurgence and I bleieve the loss of his medals would be a step backwards for the CFHSvs, CF and the Canadian public.... 

from the following website: http://www.qor.com/topham.html

_The Cpl. Fred Topham VC Fundraising Project
PARATROOP VETERANS 'TAKE UP ARMS' TO KEEP
A CANADIAN VICTORIA CROSS IN CANADA

The Victoria Cross awarded to Canadian paratrooper Cpl. Fred Topham for gallantry under fire during World War Two has come on the open market for sale and veteran paratroop comrades of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion (1 Can Para) are preparing to fight to keep the medal in Canada. 

"The Victoria Cross is the world's most prestigious and coveted award for gallantry and bravery in the face of enemy fire and we're 'up in arms' over the thought that 'Toppy's' medal could be bought and taken out of Canada," says Jan de Vries, of Pickering. President of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion Association and Honorary Chairman of "The Corporal Fred Topham VC Project," de Vries jumped into Normandy with 1 Can Para shortly after midnight of June 5, 1944. 

He says that "This is an extraordinarily important piece of Canadian history and it's our objective to raise enough money to purchase it. We'd like to see it travel to all parts of Canada so it can be displayed properly and made available for everyone -- especially the younger folk -- to see and understand its importance." The medal has been appraised at C$250,000 and de Vries says that "We hope to raise that much from as many different sources as we can -- various levels of government, the corporate world, members of the public -- to keep this irreplaceable piece of Canadian history out of the hands of a private collector, where it would never be seen again. To get the campaign underway, the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion Association has pledged the first $5,000." 

The 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion was allied with the 6th British Airborne Division and took part in the drops at Normandy, on D-Day in 1944 and at the Rhine in 1945. Topham's VC, the second- last awarded in World War Two, was the only one awarded to the 6th Airborne and this has added dramatically to its value. 

Topham, who died in 1974 and is buried in Toronto, was a former hard-rock miner in Northern Ontario. He was a 27-year-old medical orderly in 1 Can Para when he jumped into Germany on the morning of March 24, 1945. The Rhine Crossing, as it became known, the last major engagement of World War Two was fought at great cost. In the drop, and the ensuing fierce firefight, 23 Canadians from 1 Can Para were killed and 40 wounded, including Topham. 

For several hours, under constant attack from small arms, rifle and machinegun fire, Topham attended to wounded comrades. When two other orderlies were killed trying to help a disabled soldier to safety, Topham took over, despite being hit in the face by enemy fire. In considerable pain, but ignoring his wound, he carried the injured paratrooper to shelter, continuing to bring in other wounded troops for several more hours before allowing medical staff to attend to him. On his way to have his wound looked after, he rescued three soldiers from a burning Bren-gun carrier despite being under enemy mortar fire, as well as being in danger from the carrier's live ammunition, which began exploding among the flames. 

A total of 1,354 of these rare medals have been awarded since the first Victoria Cross was presented, with 95 going to Canadians. Named for Queen Victoria, who wished to honour military and naval personnel who performed gallant deeds during the Crimean War of 1854-56, the first awards were made in 1857. Among those first recipients was another Torontonian, Lt. Alexander Dunn, a 21-year-old member of the British 11th Hussars who took part in the Charge of the Light Brigade. Since that day, every Victoria Cross, which can only be awarded for actions "in the presence of the enemy," has been made of metal taken from guns captured from the Russians in the Crimean War. 

A tax receipt will be provided for donations of $20.00 and up. Cheques or money orders should be made out to: 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion Museum Trust (1st Can Para Bn Museum Trust). Mailing address is: The Cpl. Fred Topham VC Fundraising Project; c/o The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada; 130 Queen Street, East; Toronto ON M5A 1R9. 

FURTHER INFORMATION 

Capt. Charles McGregor, 905 430 1680 (Residence), 905 718 1377 (Cell) _ 

Lets all help out....

Cheers


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## PuckChaser (27 Sep 2004)

Whoever is selling that medal needs to be beaten senseless. That's a disgrace. I sure hope its not a family member...


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## Scott (27 Sep 2004)

You'd think the Legion or some sort of similar organization would get involved. I am a legion member but I'm afraid I don't keep up to speed on the policies concerning things like this. Maybe someone's local MP would be interested in this?


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## axeman (27 Sep 2004)

try contacting the Patricia's   or the medicial corps as he was in the airborne . serving as a medic  either of these groups may be intrested


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## Tpr.Orange (27 Sep 2004)

This is a damn shame


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## Spr.Earl (28 Sep 2004)

Yes it is a damn shame but the Legion or a single organisation could not afford the price of a V.C. as it is the most sought after Medal in the World by collectors as a V.C. can go for six figures depending on the circumstances it was awarded under.


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## George Wallace (28 Sep 2004)

A couple of things here (perhaps more than a couple):

The Canadian Airborne Forces Museum in Petawawa had heard that the 'family' (Topham) had put the medals up for auction up to a year ago.  I believe the dealer may be Dave Hoare.

The asking price is too much for a DND Museum to even contemplate.  ARAC, the overall Airborne Association, has some involvement in perhaps looking into purchasing the medals, but has left most of the dealing in this matter to the 1st Can Para Association.  As Topham is a prominent figure in Airborne history, it would be nice to acquire his medals for the Canadian Airborne Forces Museum, but all associations involved are very fiscally challenged.  The Canadian Airborne Forces Museum in Petawawa covers the whole history of Military Parachuting in Canada, The First Special Service Force, 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, The Canadian Airborne Regiment and other units as the CPC, Trials and Evaluations, etc.  Any hope of any of these deserving organizations raising the money to purchase a part of their history presently looks slim.  

Another issue that may have to be addressed is the fact that there are "Cultural Property" Laws in place which may save the medals from being legally sold outside the country.  Canada is a signatory of this International Law that is designed to protect and preserve a Nations cultural and historical artifacts.

GW


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## Spr.Earl (28 Sep 2004)

George do you the reserve bid?


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## George Wallace (28 Sep 2004)

Who knows...perhaps someone in 1 Can Para Assoc, like Jan De Vries, can persuade Walmart to get involved.  Look what they went and contributed to the financing and developement of the Normandy Beach Memorial.  We all know the Government is not interested in promoting the presevation of our Military heritage.  Perhaps the CWM will have funds to purchase them for their new Museum to open next summer.

GW


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## rlaughton (25 Oct 2004)

Page A7 of the Toronto Star has an article on Ernest "Smokey" Smith at age 90, indicating he is Canada's only surviving Victoria Cross recipient.   The VC winners are being honoured with new stamps, as clearly depicted in the photo.   Now that makes me think that if Canada Post Corporation has the willingness to make stamps for the VC winners, why would they not be willing to contribute some of the money collected on each stamp to retaining (maybe even reacquiring) the VC medals.   A nice fund could be set up to acquire these medals and others as they become available.

I would suggest that the Topham fund organizers send a message about this to both the Toronto Star (while it is fresh in their mind) and to Canada Post.   I checked the Toronto Star on-line for today and this story does not seem to appear, probably because it was just a photo story.   I did snatch Richard Gwyn's e-mail address while I was there, so I will send him a note and see where that takes us.

I am certain there are a number of people that would even purchase VC stamp collector packages if they new the money was going to such a good cause.


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## George Wallace (29 Oct 2004)

I see that the 1 Can Para Assoc. has started a campagne to get Topham's medals and are advertising on TV.  I hope that the family are not too "greedy" in the sale of the medals and can see that the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion should be a fine resting place for his medals and the perpetuation of a fine Unit's history.

GW


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## Michael Dorosh (29 Oct 2004)

George Wallace said:
			
		

> I see that the 1 Can Para Assoc. has started a campagne to get Topham's medals and are advertising on TV.  I hope that the family are not too "greedy" in the sale of the medals and can see that the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion should be a fine resting place for his medals and the perpetuation of a fine Unit's history.
> 
> GW



So would a private collector, George.  Ask the  CWM about the Canadian VC that is still "lost".   Or how many VCs are kept in storage because there are no facilities to properly display them.  A private collector is just as good a repository as a national museum, if it means that the price spent ensures the artifact will be preserved for the future.  Some private collectors spend more on maintenance and security than some museums, especially government funded museums or those dependent on public donations, tucked away in armouries, hidden away on remote CFBs, etc.

On the upside, if enough money is not raised for the VC, according to a question I asked on my own forum, the monies raised will still go to the para vets.  There were a proud few on parade on 6 June this year in Ottawa, looking very smart in their maroon blazers.


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## Bruce Monkhouse (7 Nov 2004)

Newest update,

 http://www.pulse24.com/News/Top_Story/20041106-006/page.asp

Canadian Treasure  


On March 24, 1945 Corporal Fred Topham, then 27-years-old, threw himself into enemy fire to save the lives of dozens of wounded soldiers in Germany during the Second World War. For his courageous actions he was presented with the Commonwealth's highest military honour for valour: the Victoria Cross.

The late serviceman's award is now up for auction and Canadian war veterans fear it may end up being taken out of the country.

Topham passed away in 1974, and he and his wife Mary never had children. When Mary died the medal was inherited by more than two dozen of her relatives. War veterans are desperately campaigning to keep what they regard as the last Victoria Cross to be awarded to a Canadian, within our borders. Vets feel these medals should be used to teach children about Canuck heroes.

A collector, believed to be British, has offered the family $319,000 for the piece, but Topham's relatives have agreed to sell it to the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion Association if it can come up with $275,000 by the end of the year. It was appraised, and said to be worth $250,000.

"This is a piece of Canadiana which is never going to be replicated," says Capt. Charles (Chick) McGregor. "There very likely are never going to be more Victoria Crosses awarded to Canadians. We're not likely to be in a shooting war ever (again)."

Topham was a medic and after he saw two other medics die trying to rescue a wounded soldier, he ran across the battlefield to the man's side. He was shot in the face but still managed to treat and carry the injured man to shelter. In the following hours, he saved dozens more, refusing to take treatment for his own wounds. Later, he noticed an armoured vehicle loaded with ammunition on fire, and dragged three men to safety. His relatives describe him as a humble man, who never spoke about his time in the war.



So far, the 1st C.P.B.A. has only collected $45,000. If you'd like to donate, cheques or money orders should be made out to: 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion Museum Trust (1st Can Para Bn Museum Trust). The mailing address is: The Cpl. Fred Topham VC Fundraising Project, c/o The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada, 130 Queen St. E., Toronto, Ont., M5A 1R9.

Some facts about the Victoria Cross:

Topham's Victoria Cross is one of only 16 awarded to Canadians in the Second World War and the only one earned by the 6th Airborne Division, despite its record of heavy fighting. It's billed as the second-last Victoria Cross awarded to a Canadian in the Second World War.
All Victoria Crosses are hand-finished and cast from the melted-down bronze of guns captured by the British from the Russians during the Crimean War.
The only surviving Canadian Victoria Cross recipient is Ernest (Smoky) Smith, who was awarded the medal for single-handedly beating back a German counterattack during a battle for an Italian river crossing in 1944.


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## LKG (16 Nov 2004)

I was in contact with Lt. Col. John Fotheringham (QOR) today regarding the campaign and they have received $100,000 to date. The response has been great in the last few weeks, but there is a long way to go.

The Toronto Sun gave the campaign the full front page today in support. Here's the article:
http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/TorontoSun/News/2004/11/16/716366.html

I have been involved with the 1 Can Para Association since producing the documentary Victory From Above. To help in the Topham VC Campaign I produced that public service announcement that is currently running on television.

If you haven't sent a donation yet, please do so! The campaign's deadline is the end of the year, and it would be a terrible sin to have this irreplaceable part of our history lost forever.


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## Bruce Monkhouse (25 Nov 2004)

YES!
http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/TorontoSun/News/2004/11/25/730030.html

25, 2004 


VC victory!

HERITAGE MINISTER GUARANTEES FEDS WILL TOP UP FUND FOR MEDAL

By joe warmington, TORONTO SUN


  

CANADIAN VETERANS no longer have to fear Fred "Toppy" Topham's Victoria Cross will be sold to a collector abroad, federal Heritage Minister Liza Frulla said yesterday. "The issue is settled. The medal will stay in Canada," Frulla told the Toronto Sun in an interview yesterday. "The medal belongs to all of Canada and it will stay here in Mr. Topham's memory and all the veterans who defended us." 

Sun readers, veterans and other Canadians contributed to a fundraising drive to save the medal from being sold to a collector in the United Kingdom. Frulla guaranteed her ministry will cover any shortfall between money raised and the cost of buying the medal. 

"Whatever the figure is, we will top it off," she said. "I praise the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion and Sun readers who went to work to save this (medal)." 

So far the Sun drive has raised more than $31,000. Yesterday alone, we received more than $6,300 in donations from our readers. 

The executor of the World War II veteran's widow's estate has offered Canada the first right of refusal on the rare medal at about $275,000. Reports say a bid from England was as much as $400,000. 

The heritage ministry has been working closely with the family, which Frulla says "have been terrific." 

Frulla's assistant, Donald Boulanger, said fundraising will continue to the end of the month and reiterated that the heritage ministry "will cover the difference -- whatever the amount is." 

Frulla said she made it clear to the vets that she would cover the difference within "48 hours" of hearing about the problem several weeks ago. 

Frulla said she stayed in the background on the campaign, despite media criticism, because she knew veterans wanted to raise as much money as they could on their own first. 

"I understood people wanted to be a part of it," she said. 

Frulla said she has faced unfair criticism for not stepping in sooner. "We moved quite fast (on the issue)," she said. 

With the new national war museum opening up in Ottawa next spring and the importance of the VC's history, there was never any way the medal was leaving the country, she said. 

"I am a member of the Legion in Verdun in my home riding, where there is a military history," she said. "I would never have let that medal go." 

The news went over well with campaign supporters. 

"It is a great relief the federal government is prepared to step in if we ran short," said Ronald Anderson, 82, past president of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion Association. "All we want is to give it to the National War Museum so that it can be put on display for all Canadians." 

Don Cherry got the news two days after writing a cheque to the fund for $500. 

"Well, that's all we wanted," Cherry said yesterday. "Thank you, Madame Liza." 

Toppy's distant cousin, Bob Topham from Meaford, said he's "thrilled" the VC has been saved. "We are awfully proud of that," he said of Topham's medal and contributions. 

Topham was a 27-year-old medic when he ran through German artillery in March 1945 to move wounded men to safety. He did it all after being shot through the bridge of his nose. 

--- 

YOU CAN STILL HELP 

YOU CAN make a non-tax deductible, non-refundable donation of any amount in person at the reception desk of the Toronto Sun or by mailing a cheque payable to "Victoria Cross Fund," c/o Toronto Sun, 333 King St. E., Toronto M5A 3X5. 

We'll turn over all money not used for the purchase of the Fred Topham Victoria Cross to the 1st Canadian Battalion Museum Trust.


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## Michael Dorosh (25 Nov 2004)

LKG said:
			
		

> and it would be a terrible sin to have this irreplaceable part of our history lost forever.



The fact that it resided with a British collector is hardly comparable to it being "lost forever"; its not like he would throw it into the fires of Mount Doom or something.

I'm a bit uneasy that the government had to step in, but I'm glad the VC is staying in Canada - provided it is put on permanent public display.  Don't forget the Canadian War Museum actually lost - yes, you read that correctly, lost - Konowal's VC in the 1970s.  I understand this VC will go to the Para Association?  Hopefully this will not sit in an archives somewhere, especially now that government funds have gone into its purchase.


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## Long in the tooth (25 Nov 2004)

I think my opinion is somewhat different from most but valid nonetheless....

While some are eager to raise the $275,000, I believe that it should be illegal to sell decorations at all.   When Topham was awarded the VC the intent was NOT to make his family wealthy.   So I believe the onus is not on the Canadian Government, but on those who are selling the VC.


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## Michael Dorosh (25 Nov 2004)

Worn Out Grunt said:
			
		

> So I believe the onus is not on the Canadian Government, but on those who are selling the VC.



The onus to do what?


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## LKG (26 Nov 2004)

Michael Dorosh said:
			
		

> The fact that it resided with a British collector is hardly comparable to it being "lost forever"; its not like he would throw it into the fires of Mount Doom or something.
> 
> I'm a bit uneasy that the government had to step in, but I'm glad the VC is staying in Canada - provided it is put on permanent public display.   Don't forget the Canadian War Museum actually lost - yes, you read that correctly, lost - Konowal's VC in the 1970s.   I understand this VC will go to the Para Association?   Hopefully this will not sit in an archives somewhere, especially now that government funds have gone into its purchase.



That's not what I meant...if the VC left the country, it most likely would never return. That is a great loss.
The fact that a private collector is involved, that would mean that it may never be displayed in public. Another great loss.

Here is the plans by the 1 Can Para Association: to donate it to the Canadian War Museum with certain stipulations:  it must be kept on display, and not put away at some point - it must be available for public viewing since the public has paid to keep it in Canada; it must be safeguarded so that it cannot be lost or stolen (especially if it is to be taken on tour);


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## GGboy (26 Nov 2004)

Worn Out Grunt said:
			
		

> I think my opinion is somewhat different from most but valid nonetheless....
> 
> While some are eager to raise the $275,000, I believe that it should be illegal to sell decorations at all.   When Topham was awarded the VC the intent was NOT to make his family wealthy.   So I believe the onus is not on the Canadian Government, but on those who are selling the VC.



Don't blame the family for this. Topham's widow did not leave his medals to anyone in particular when she died, meaning that (since they can't cut the VC into pieces to divvy it up among the beneficiaries) they have to sell it to settle her estate. If it wasn't for the Topham family giving the 1 Can Para vets the chance to match the millionaire's offer, this VC would already be in his collection.
I hear the Tory vets affairs critic is writing a private members' bill that would make it illegal to sell a VC or other significant medal collection outside of Canada, which is IMO long overdue ...


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## Long in the tooth (26 Nov 2004)

The onus on the family should be to recognize that it is a piece of Canadian history, not just an item to go to the highest bidder.  I understand this is an idealistic notion when ebay is selling 10 year old cheese sandwiches for $28,000.  However, if we logically extend the 'highest bidder' option, why not just sell annual peerages for the most money as well?  This is not so ridiculous as the British have pondered it.


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## Bruce Monkhouse (25 Jan 2005)

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/TorontoSun/News/2005/01/25/pf-909390.html
   
Tue, January 25, 2005 

Fred's VC now ours to keep

SUN CAMPAIGN PRAISED AS MEDALS HANDED OVER 
By BRODIE FENLON, TORONTO SUN

WITH A handshake and a $300,000 cheque, Cpl. Fred Topham's Victoria Cross became ours forever. The low-key handover at the Royal Canadian Military Institute yesterday belied the hundreds of volunteer hours and more than 2,000 donations from across the country -- including more than 1,200 from Sun readers -- spent to save the precious medal from leaving Canada. 

Lt.-Col. John Fotheringham, former commanding officer of the Queen's Own Rifles who helped lead the fundraising campaign, thanked Sun readers who "pushed us over the top." 

"Their contributions have made it possible that a Canadian hero has become known across the country," said Jan De Vries, president of the 1st Canadian Parachute Association. 

Without any government help, the association raised $225,000 and Sun Media newspapers raised another $75,000 to meet the list price set by the executors of the estate of Topham's late widow. They were going to auction off the VC in Britain. 

Another $30,000 raised from Sun readers in the campaign will go toward the purchase of other medals that become available in the future. 

Topham's service medals and Victoria Cross were exchanged for the cheque yesterday, then placed in the permanent custody of the Canadian War Museum. 

Only 95 Canadians have won the VC, and only 16 were awarded in World War II. Topham, a medic with the 1st Paras, was awarded his medal for his actions at the Rhine Crossing parachute drop on March 24, 1945. He was the second-last Canadian to receive a VC in the war. 

On that day, Topham kept going into the battle area under fire to bring out the wounded, even after he was shot in the face. When ordered behind the lines for treatment, the paratrooper dashed into a burning armoured personnel carrier to rescue another three men. 

"Topham was singled out as an example of bravery, but there were tens of thousands of other soldiers who did the same," Fotheringham said. 

"I just thought it was important that we keep (the VC) here so that we can keep his memory alive and also remind Canadians of the sacrifices these guys made." 

The Canadian War Museum will put Topham's medals on display in its new Ottawa building set to open in May. 

The medals will also be displayed in Toronto on April 30 at the Ricoh Centre and in July at the Canadian Airborne Forces Museum at CFB Petawawa, De Vries said.


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## axeman (29 Jan 2005)

Kudo's 

 im glad i donated . I'm glad they are staying here in Canada , and glad they are going into the war museum .While they {all the medals ever donated} may not be on display the are stored cataloged and able to be researched and veiwed upon request. Which isnt always the case when a private buyers snaps them up.


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## 3rd Herd (29 Jul 2007)

In the news again http://ottsun.canoe.ca/News/National/2007/07/29/4376744-sun.html
The Usual Disclaimer:
Sun, July 29, 2007
Showing the kids our history
But where is the tribute to VC hero Toppy?
By PETER WORTHINGTON, TORONTO SUN
For the past couple of weeks I've been visiting World War I and World War II war graves and battlefields in France as part of an educational process with grandkids. 

It wasn't my idea, but their parents'. 

Instead of covering the jury's verdict in the Conrad Black trial in Chicago, I was answering a higher call to family duty. As for Black, even being convicted on minor points is a huge defeat for him, while getting acquitted on nine more serious charges is a black eye for the prosecution. No winners -- but one big loser. 

Of the war sites and cemeteries in France, the biggest shock came at the Pegasus Bridge memorial where, at midnight before the D-Day assault began on June 6, 1944, Britain's 6th Airborne Division dropped to secure the Northern flank of the Allied invasion at the Orme river, while at Point du Loc the U.S. 82nd and 101st Airborne Regiments dropped to secure the southern flank. 

Both airborne units have proud museums at the drop zone to commemorate their contribution. At the Pointe du Loc church, a paratrooper chute on D-Day got caught on the church's spire, and he dangled from the top while the fight raged beneath him. By playing dead, he survived; today a parachute with a dummy paratrooper hangs permanently from the church's roof. 

But it's the Pegasus Bridge Memorial that shocked me. 

Here there are the usual displays -- tributes to the division's commander Maj.-Gen. Richard Gale; a life- sized bronze statue of Brig. James Hill, who died last year at age 95 and is beloved by members of the 1st Can Paras whom he commanded in 3rd Brigade; references to brave actions by individuals. That sort of stuff. 

HARDEST JOBS 

Hill always called the 1st Paras "my Canadians" and assigned to them jobs that he felt only the best could achieve. The 1st Paras never fought with other Canadian units, but saw more action than most, and reached the Baltic Sea where they met elements of Josef Stalin's Red Army. 

I poked around the museum where gallantry awards were displayed -- military medals for bravery, the Military Cross to officers for courage, and tributes to individuals. 

But no mention of the only Victoria Cross won in World War II by the 6th Airborne Division, and that to Cpl. Fred Topham on the drop to cross the Rhine on March 24, 1945. 

I asked a young French guide if there was any mention of Toppy's VC -- which readers will recall was up for auction by relatives of Topham's late wife, and which readers of the Sun raised some $130,000 along with an equal amount by the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion Association to buy the medal for Ottawa's Canadian War Museum. 

The young woman was puzzled, and wondered "What medal, who is Victoria?" She directed me to a more knowledgeable official who, I suspect, was a para veteran but too young for World War II. 

"No," he said, "there is no mention of the VC in the museum, won by a Canadian -- the only VC the division earned in World War II." I told him I knew all this, and he quickly added that the intention is to get a replica of the VC, and an account of Toppy's courage in saving wounded under fire while being wounded himself. 

The person was gracious and apologetic, and knew Topham's VC had been up for auction. He told an assembled group that Britain's Lord Ashcroft sought to buy Toppy's VC for his collection of VCs - "the world's largest private collection of Victoria Crosses" -- some 140 of them, almost 10% of all VCs ever awarded. 

No question the 1st Can Para Battalion is esteemed by others in the Airborne Division, but it doesn't answer how 64 years could pass with no mention in the division's honour rolls, or the museum, of the day Fred Topham won immortality. 

If not a slight to Canada, it surely is a grievous military oversight. 

And why no protest from today's paratroopers? 

Fans of the airborne like to recall that the Pegasus landing was the "only action on the whole D-Day invasion that went perfectly to script." Troop-carrying gliders landed within yards of the bridge their job was to secure, as troops dropped on other sites. The vital bridge across the Orme was secured in barely 10 minutes. 

When Topham won his VC, the 1st Para's commanding officer was killed -- Lt.Col. Jeff Nicklin, once star defensive end with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and now immortalized with a trophy in his name presented every Grey Cup game to the west's outstanding player.


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