Topper, William Worthington (Oral history)

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Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
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Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially.
Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

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Embed this sound recording for online use under the IWM Non-Commercial Licence
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Sound: © IWM

Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
Personal use for non-commercial research and private study and other uses under the UK’s exceptions to copyright and those exceptions to copyright in place where the user is located.
Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially.
Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.

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Description

Object description

British officer served as instructor with Training Command, RAF in GB, 1941-1944; served as pilot with 627 Sqdn, No 5 Group, Bomber Command, RAF in GB, 6/1944-5/1945

Content description

REEL 1 Background in Pendleton, Salford, GB, 1916-1939: family; education; employment; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939. Aspect of enlistment and training with Royal Air Force in GB, 1940-1941: volunteering for Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR); call-up for service with Royal Air Force, 1940; pattern of training and reasons for allocation to Training Command, RAF. Aspects of period as flying instructor with Training Command, RAF in GB, 1941-1944: German Air Force intruder raids in Driffield area, spring 1941; posting to RAF Upavon; techniques of flying instruction; problems of navigating in GB; transfer to Bomber Command. 1944; training as bomber pilot. Recollections of operations as pilot with 627 Sqdn, No 5 Group, Bomber Command, RAF in GB, 6/1944-5/1945: posting to RAF Woodhall Spa, 6/1944; flying De Havilland Mosquito; first operation over Normandy, France, 14/7/1944; raid on Villeneuve-Saint-Georges, France. REEL 2 Continues: marking technique used; photographic reconnaissance of attack on rocket dump at Trossy Saint Maximin, France, 2/8/1944; visibility of squadron markings on aircraft to Germans; memories of Flying Officer Victor 'Garth' Davies; raid on Kaiserslauten, Germany, 27/9/1944; raid on Bremen, Germany, 6/10/1944; support for ground operations at Walcheren Island, Netherlands, 17/10/1944; sight of city during raid on Nüremberg, Germany, 19/10/1944; raid on Bergen, Norway, 1/11/1944; daylight raid on Homburg, Germany, 4/11/1944. REEL 3 Continues: raid on Dortmund-Ems Canal, Germany, 22/11/1944; raids on Munich, Germany, 17/12/1944 and 7/1/1945; use of De Havilland Mosquito Mk XXV; raid on Politz Synthetic Oil Refinery, near Stettin, Germany, 13/1/1945; raid on Synthetic Oil Refinery at Brüx, Sudentenland, Germany, 2/2/1945; raid on Karlsruche, Germany, 2/2/1945; raid on Dortmund-Ems Canal, Germany, 7/2/1945; reasons for raid on Dresden, Germany, 13/2/1945; orders not to crash land in Soviet occupied territory; role as marker leader during raid on Dresden, Germany, 13/2/1945. REEL 4 Continues: raid on Sassnitz, Germany, 6/3/1945; raid on Lützendorf, 14/3/1945; raid on Bohlen Synthetic Oil Refinery, Germany, 20/3/1945; supporting ground forces crossing of River Rhine at Wesel, Germany, 23/3/1945; raid on Tonsberg, Norway, 25/4/1945; attitude to role of Bomber Command in Second World War and criticisms it has received.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1990 to the present day (production), Second World War (content), Second World War (association)
Creator: IWM (Production company)
Wood, Conrad (Recorder)
Topper, William Worthington (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 1995-12-28
Dimensions: whole: Duration 105, Number Of Items 4
Catalogue number: 16363

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Topper, William Worthington (Oral history)

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