Cpl Fred Topham, VC Fundraising Project

Freddy Topham was my dad's boyhood buddy. In my father's later years he often talked about those days, in the 20s, when he and Freddy roamed the banks of the Humber River, looking for adventure. He told me about the day when he and Freddy picked a bushel of little green apples down at the Humber and tied them with fishing line to Freddy's dad's sad sack apple tree. And he told of the Great Root Beer Caper, when he and Fred ordered up some secret ingredients by mail and tried to make a batch of root beer in a big demi-john. There was a tragi-comic mix-up involving the amount of yeast to add, culminating in an explosion of root beer foam that became more dramatic with each telling. When my father told me these stories, he always ended by saying, Freddy became a hero in the war, son. He was awarded the Victoria Cross.

Now, Fred Topham's Victoria Cross is up for sale. There is a group of Canadian airborne veterans and serving soldiers who have launched a campaign to purchase the VC and put it on public display in museums across the country. My father is gone now, but he would want to support this. We will be making a donation. Click on the link for more information about Fred Topham, and his brave efforts in WWII