People named John Hopgood

John A Hopgood of Sanger, Denton County, TX was born on May 11, 1927, and died at age 77 years old on November 20, 2004.

John Thomas Hopgood of Prahran Australia. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember John Thomas Hopgood.

John Vere Hopgood was born August 29, 1921, the son of Harold and Grace Hopgood. He had at least two sisters, one of whom, Elizabeth, remembered: "I can remember him as a little boy, sort of getting in a panic over things. As a small child, he used to cry a lot," she said. "But when he got into the RAF it was incredible how he managed to control it." "He found his feet in the RAF." Hopgood joined the RAF in 1940 and trained as a pilot, serving in Bomber Command in 50 Squadron and 106 Squadron, the latter commanded by Wing Commander Guy Gibson, who was a great friend of his. He earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar to the DFC during his service. He was one of the first pilots Gibson chose for 617 Squadron. As the backup for Gibson at the Mohne Dam, Hopgood knew that the flak would be ready and waiting, and he expressed to his friend, fellow pilot David Shannon, that he would not return from the mission. His aircraft was in fact shot up before their arrival at the dam; the front gunner was probably killed, the wireless operator was very severely wounded, the rear gunner wounded, and Hopgood himself was hit in the head, a wound of unknown severity but very bloody judging by the remarks of his flight engineer who was trying to staunch the flow. Having come so far, Hopgood elected to press on. After Gibson made the first run at the dam with no result, Hopgood lined up for his run. As he'd suspected, the flak gunners now knew the drill and were waiting for him. His Lancaster was badly shot up and set on fire; the Upkeep mine actually bounced over the dam and blew up the power station at its base. Hopgood struggled to keep the aircraft aloft long enough for the others to bail out; bomb aimer John Fraser went out the front escape hatch; the altitude was so low that he opened his chute in the aircraft, threw it out the hatch, and let it drag him out. The rear gunner, Pilot Officer Burcher, climbed out of his turret and found that the horribly wounded wireless operator, Minchin, had somehow crawled back to the rear exit. Burcher pushed him out, pulling his rip cord as he went out the door, then he reported to Hopgood that he was bailing out. "For Christ's sake get out!" Hopgood shouted, and Burcher opened his chute in the airplane as Fraser had; just as he was about to go out the door the Lancaster blew up. Minchin did not survive, but Burcher and Fraser became POWs. There is no question in my mind that John Vere Hopgood richly deserved the Victoria Cross, but no awards were made to any of the killed aircrew from Chastise, an injustice to this day. As an indication of how his crew felt about him, bomb aimer Fraser named his first son John Hopgood Fraser, and his daughter Shere, after the town where Hopgood had grown up. Flight Lieutenant John Vere Hopgood, DFC and Bar, is buried with four other members of his crew in Rheinburg War Cemetery, Germany.

John Hopgood of Lincoln, Lancaster County, Nebraska was born on September 24, 1956, and died at age 29 years old in August 1986.

John Hopgood of Saint Louis, Saint Louis City County, Missouri was born on September 9, 1911, and died at age 59 years old in March 1971.

John Hopgood of Steele, Pemiscot County, Missouri was born on April 20, 1905, and died at age 75 years old in February 1981.

John Hopgood of Texas was born on June 3, 1898, and died at age 65 years old in April 1964.

John Hopgood was born on August 4, 1905, and died at age 59 years old in June 1965. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember John Hopgood.

John Hopgood of Bremen, Muhlenberg County, KY was born on August 12, 1908, and died at age 79 years old on December 23, 1987.