Hopgood Family History & Genealogy

Olga Celestina (Tenner) Hopgood of Prahran Australia, was married to John Thomas Hopgood, and has a child Eileen Fran Hopgood. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Olga Celestina (Tenner) Hopgood.

Ruby May Victoria (Birchmore) Hopgood of White Hills, Greater Bendigo City County, VIC Australia was born on March 27, 1898 in Bendigo to William John Birchmore and Elizabeth Alley Waters Birchmore. She had siblings John William Birchmore, Emily Jane Amelia Birchmore, Charlotte Ann Birchmore, Edith Ellen (Birchmore) Sing, Mary Bertha Matilda Birchmore, Robert Henry Birchmore, William Albert Birchmore, and Arabella Elizabeth (Birchmore) Sertori. Ruby Hopgood married Frederick Hopgood in 1921, and died at age 67 years old on November 23, 1965 in Bendigo.

Joseph Hopgood of Heidelberg, City of Banyule County, VIC Australia was born in 1899 in Eaglehawk, Greater Bendigo City County to Selina Burt Hopgood and Thomas Joseph Hopgood. He had siblings Isabella Hopgood, George Hopgood, William Pierce Hopgood, and Frederick Hopgood. Joseph Hopgood died at age 74 years old in 1973 in Heidelberg, City of Banyule County.

William Pierce Hopgood of Heidelberg, City of Banyule County, VIC Australia was born in 1889 in Eaglehawk, Greater Bendigo City County to Selina Burt Hopgood and Thomas Joseph Hopgood. He had siblings Isabella Hopgood, Joseph Hopgood, George Hopgood, and Frederick Hopgood. He married Alma Florence (Maher) Hopgood in 1913, and had children Florence Jean Hopgood and Maude Hopgood. William Hopgood died at age 78 years old in 1967 in Heidelberg, City of Banyule County.

Isabella Rebecca (Pearce) Hopgood of Eaglehawk, Greater Bendigo City County, VIC Australia was born in 1846, and died at age 45 years old in 1891.

Florence Jean (Hopgood) Soundry of Bendigo, Greater Bendigo City County, VIC Australia was born in 1915 in Eaglehawk to Alma Florence (Maher) Hopgood and William Pierce Hopgood. She had a sister Maude Hopgood. Florence Soundry married Thomas Henry Soundry in 1940, and died at age 94 years old on November 2, 2010 in Bendigo.

George Hopgood of Bendigo, Greater Bendigo City County, VIC Australia was born in 1902 in Eaglehawk to Selina Burt Hopgood and Thomas Joseph Hopgood. He had siblings Isabella Hopgood, Joseph Hopgood, William Pierce Hopgood, and Frederick Hopgood. George Hopgood died at age 56 years old on April 12, 1959 in Eaglehawk.

Maude Hopgood of Eaglehawk, Greater Bendigo City County, VIC Australia was born on December 12, 1918 in Bendigo, and died at age 91 years old on September 9, 2010 in Bendigo.

Olga Celestina Hopgood of Caulfield Australia was born in 1883 to Tenner James Hopgood and Bernadina Whittaker Hopgood. Olga Hopgood died at age 82 years old in 1965 in Caulfield.

Thomas Joseph Hopgood of Eaglehawk, Greater Bendigo City County, VIC Australia was born in 1869 in Nerring, Pyrenees Shire County, and died at age 57 years old on September 21, 1927 in Eaglehawk, Greater Bendigo City County.

Selina (Burt) Hopgood of Eaglehawk, Greater Bendigo City County, VIC Australia was born in 1873 in Nerring, Pyrenees Shire County, and died at age 81 years old in 1954 in Bendigo, Greater Bendigo City County.

Alma Florence (Maher) Hopgood of Eaglehawk, Greater Bendigo City County, VIC Australia was born in 1891 in Bendigo to Edward James Maher and Margaret Lewis Maher. She had siblings William David Maher, Emeline Maher, Margaret Pearl Maher, Leslie Murvin Maher, Elsie May Maher, Rita Maher, John Washington Maher, Eileen Maher, Edwin Henry Maher, and Edward Arthur Maher. She married William Pierce Hopgood in 1913, and had children Florence Jean Hopgood and Maude Hopgood. Alma Hopgood died at age 87 years old on January 7, 1979 in Kangaroo Flat.

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.

Frederick Hopgood of Heidelberg, City of Banyule County, VIC Australia was born on October 6, 1896 in Bendigo, Greater Bendigo City County, and died at age 76 years old on May 7, 1973 in Heidelberg, City of Banyule County.

William William Hopgood of Eaglehawk, Greater Bendigo City County, VIC Australia was born in 1844. He was married to Isabella Rebecca Pearce Hopgood, and had children Elizabeth Louisa Hopgood, Isabella Dora Hopgood, Elizabeth Louisa Porter, Sarah Hopgood, Thomas Joseph Hopgood, and Mabel Jane Hopgood. William Hopgood died at age 66 years old in 1910.

Isabella Hopgood of Bendigo, Greater Bendigo City County, VIC Australia was born on August 22, 1891 in Eaglehawk to Selina Burt Hopgood and Thomas Joseph Hopgood. She had siblings Joseph Hopgood, George Hopgood, William Pierce Hopgood, and Frederick Hopgood. Isabella Hopgood died at age 72 years old on November 9, 1963 in Bendigo.

Ethel Hopgood of Massachusetts was born on July 26, 1877, and died at age 85 years old in March 1963.

Kenneth Hopgood of Hanover, Plymouth County, MA was born on December 22, 1900, and died at age 79 years old in December 1979.

Samuel Samuel Hopgood of N & Chil Australia, was married to Maria Stoneham Hopgood, and has children Robert Alfred Hopgood, Mary Ann Kent, and Joseph William Hopgood. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Samuel Hopgood.

June L Hopgood of Hanover, Plymouth County, MA was born on January 3, 1947, and died at age 63 years old on March 18, 2010.