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Air Corps Hero Crash Victim

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Captain Edward L. Toppins,
famous fighter pilot of the 99th Fighter Squadron and the holder of the highest number of overseas combat missions among Nergo pilots, was recently killed when the B-25 medium bomber he was flying exploded in the air and crashed near Lockbourne Army Air Field, Ohio. Three others were killed in the crash. (See story on Page 2.)

Bomber Explodes, Crashes in Ohio
(Continued from Page 1)

of three had left the Air Base shortly before noon on an instrument training flight.
Cause Being Studied

Col. B. O. Davis, Jr., Lockbourne

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CAPT EDWARD L. TOPPINS

commanding officer, said that a board of qualified AAF officers had been appointed to investigate the exact cause of the accident.

The crash was the first major incident since the 77th Composite Group arrived at the Ohio air base last March from Godman Field.

Capt. Ed Toppins Killed

LOCKBOURNE ARMY AIR FIELD, Ohio - The Negro pilot who came closet to becoming an "ace" in World War II and who compiled the highest number of overseas combat flying missions of any Negro pilot in air corps history was killed when the B-25 Medium Bomber he was flying crashed near the Lockbourne Air Field here Tuesday of last week.
He was Captain Edward L. Toppins, of San Francisco, one of the most famous Negro aviators in America.
Also killed in the crash of the Mitchell bomber were: Captain Chase Brenizeer, 27 of Charlotte, N.C., co-pilot, white; Lt. Ralph H. Berkes, 27, of Taren-tum, Pa., passenger, white; and Staff Sgt. John Smith, 22, 151 Hawthorne avenue, Dayton, Ohio, Negro crew chief. 
The bomber was approaching the field for a landing when it explored in mid-air and a wing dropped off.
Captain Toppins, who was 31 years old and who lived at 2701 Sutter street in San Francisco, was an officer of the 477th Composite Fighter-Bomber Group, under command of Col. B . O Davis Jr. Toppins commanded the 602 Air Engineering Squardron. The group is the only Negro unit in the Army Air Forces and is stationed at Lockbourne Field.
Captain Toppins won the Distinguished Flying Cross, and got five oak leaf clusters in his air medal before he returned to the States.
99TH PILOT
Captain Toppins went overseas in September 1943 as the first replacement pilot for the men of the original 99th Fighter Squadron. He stayed in combat for more than one year, flying 140 fighter missions before he returned to the States in November 1944. More than 100 of his missions were tactical, dive-bombing missions with the 12th Tactical Air Force in Sicily and Italy. For these missions he flew the P-40 fighter plane.
Later, when the 99th Fighter Squadron joined the 332nd Fighter Group in strategic operations under the 15th Air Force which struck at France, Germany, Austria, Rumania, Greece, Bulgaria and other points in Europe, Captain Toppins continued to roll up com-bat missions until he achieved the highest number of missions of any Negro flier in history. 

Transcription Notes:
---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-05-26 11:41:37 ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-05-26 12:18:51