The Airmen's Stories - P/O W D Wiseman
William Douglas Wiseman joined 601 Squadron Auxiliary Air Force before the war as an Aircrafthand. Called up on 24th August 1939, he remustered as an Airman u/t Air Gunner and began training on the squadron.
Wiseman and other air gunners from the squadron went to 5 B&GS Jurby for No. 7B Air Gunner Course, which ran from 11th to 23rd March 1940 and was specifically for partially-trained gunners from fighter squadrons.
On return to Tangmere they found that 601 Squadron had exchanged its Blenheims for Hurricanes.
Wiseman, then a Corporal, was posted with other newly-trained air gunners to 600 Squadron at Manston to replace men lost in 600 Squadron's raid on Waalhaven airfield, Rotterdam on 10th May.
Wiseman was commissioned on 24th June 1940 and served with 600 Squadron throughout the Battle of Britain.
In 1944 he was a controller with a mobile CGI unit in the American sector in Normandy, controlling two Black Widow night-fighter squadrons that operated from bases in England.
Wiseman was released from the RAF in 1946 as a Squadron Leader.
He died in 1989.
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