William H Topping
MilitaryShot down 13 November 1943 in B-24 42-7650. Prisoner of War (POW).
Topping joined the Air Force in October 1943 and trained as a bombardier. He then spent time on anti-submarine duty and was accordingly credited with 20 missions. He was due to return to the USA for pilot training following a 25th mission. However on the first of the extra five - an attack on Bremen - his aircraft was hit , first by flak then fighters, three of the four engines being knocked out. Too low for the men to bail out, the pilot made a crash landing in the Netherlands.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Aircraft
![A B-24 Liberator (serial number 42-7650) of the of the 44th Bomb Group that crashed near Lemmer in the Netherlands, 13 November 1943. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'B-24, 42-3650[sic] 44 BG 13-11-43 Lemmer NE coast Zuider Sea Crew OK. RNAF.'](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-379109.jpg.webp?itok=U8D9XxSA)
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Unit: 44th Bomb Group 67th Bomb Squadron
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Other Prisoner of War (POW) |
Germany | 13 November 1943 | |
|
Born |
Clifton Forge, Virginia, USA |
Revisions
Biography completed by historian Helen Millgate. Information sourced from newsletters of the 44th Bomb Group related to the service of William Topping.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 1376 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database