TOPHAM, Gordon Thomas

War
2nd Word War
Date of Birth
Date Attested
Attested at
London, Ontario
Original Unit
Elgin Regiment
Regimental Number
43018
Rank
Sergeant
Date of Death
Age at Death
35 years 9 months
Cemetery
Fordwich Cemetery
Cenotaph
Fordwich Cenotaph
Biographical Summary

NAME                  TOPHAM              Gordon Thomas
RANK                  Sergeant               43018                                                                                                
REGIMENT         Elgin Regiment
                            “duty first”                        
                            Royal Canadian Armoured Corp                                                                                            Born                    October 6, 1905 - Fordwich - Township of Howick - County of Huron                              Residence           Palmerston - Ontario                                                                                                                      Died                    July 29,1941          35 years  9 months                                                                                        Cemetery            Fordwich Public Cemetery - Fordwich - County of Huron - Ontario                                                                            A   C   114
Parents               Mr. George and Rosetta Topham - Palmerston - Ontario                                                                Brother                Mr. William Topham - Palmerston - Ontario                                                                                  Sister                   Mrs Alveretta Wallace - Palmerston - Ontario

Gordon was born in Fordwich on October 6, 1905. He and his family would have attended Fordwich United Church and Palmerston United Church. Gordon was employed as a farmer on the family farm as his father was aged and incapacitated. Gordon joined the Militia in July of 1922 at the age of 17 years. He was with "D" Company of the Middlesex and Huron Regiment.

Canada

On June 18, 1940 he went to London to enlist into the Canadian Army. He was Taken on Strength with the Elgin Regiment based in London. Four days later he was given the rank of Corporal. Between July 4-August 10 he was "On Command" to the The Canadian Small Arms School East which was based at the Connaught Ranges near Ottawa. While here he was given the rank of Sergeant. When he returned to London he was hospitalized for 26 days from October 10-November 4 with bilateral mastoiditis. At some point after this the Elgins were posted in Toronto.                                                                                                                                                               While in Toronto Sergeant Topham received furlough from January 25-February 8, 1941. Then in late May the Elgins arrived in Sydney - Nova Scotia. Sergeant Topham was again hospitalized for 6 days from July 18-24 with strep throat. In four short days he was back in Sydney City Hospital but this time it was for a gangrenous perforated appendix. He was operated on at 1:15 pm on the afternoon of July 28,1941. At 2:30 pm on July 29 Sergeant Topham died from severe peritonitis.

During May of 1942 his mother Rosetta received the Memorial Cross. In November of 1949 Sergeant Topham was awarded the 1939-45 Star, The War Medal and the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal.

Sergeant Topham is honoured and remembered on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial, on the Fordwich Cenotaph, and should be but is not honoured and remembered on the Palmerston - Ontario Cenotaph. He is possibly honoured and remembered on the Memorial Plaques of the Fordwich United and Palmerston United Churches. Sergeant Yopham is also honoured and Remembered at theElgin Military Museum in St. Thomas - Ontario.