At the beginning of the war Topolski was engaged as a war artist attached to the Polish forces in Britain. In November 1941 he was officially commissioned by the War Artists Advisory Committee to produce drawings of life as it was during air raids, and was infact wounded while working in May the following year. He was then sent to the Middle East by the 'Ilustrated London News', where he travelled on to Egypt, India, China and Burma.

Second World War 1940, 1941, 1942 Independent submissions to the War Artists Advisory Committee. 1941 Specially employed by the War Artists Advisory Committee to undertake a few specific works