Dorothy's high-flying life

Kyt · Aug 23, 2008

Dorothy's high-flying life - Local News - News - General - Goondiwindi Argus

Dorothy was born in 1919 in Lincolnshire. She was a war baby, and her father was an officer in the Royal Navy. Dorothy went to a community school and learnt typing and bookkeeping and went to work for the army in administration at War Brigade Headquarters. When the Second World War broke out, Dorothy joined the ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service) and spent some of the war defending British airfields against German attack. She was one of the ‘ack-ack girls.’

“We had two sets of air raid shelters, one was above ground and the other was much safer underground. We always joked that the underground ones were for the important people.

“I did get in there sometimes,” she said.

She met and married RAAF pilot Richard Wiseman during the war. He was one of the RAAF’s very best, receiving the Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar, presented to him at Buckingham Palace by King George VI.

“It was lovely to have morning tea at the Palace,” she said.

Richard was a Squadron Leader in the Pathfinders, so she had good reason to feel very safe when she flew with him in a Manchester Bomber, as she describes below.

Dorothy came out to Australia after the war and lived with her husband at “Kesteven”, the family property at Tulloona named after a place in Lincolnshire. They had four children, Barbara, Susan and twin sons David and John.

Richard passed away in 1994 and Dorothy eventually moved into Kaloma. She is writing her life story.

“The children said they didn’t know very much about my early life.”

“I said there was a big gap there.

“ That was the war.”

By Dorothy Wiseman

It was when I was transferred back to Lincolnshire that I had the opportunity to have a flight in an RAF bomber plane, the Manchester. Richard had also been posted to a squadron at Swinderby.

Richard and I and some of the Army Admin staff often had High Tea at the local Inn when not on duty. It was during one of these gatherings when my staff captain broached the subject of a possible flight.

Richard was rather doubtful at first, and then mentioned the possibility of a training flight and so it was arranged that he would pick us up after lunch the following day. As it was a training flight his whole crew had to come. They duly arrived and we proceeded to board the plane, we were all required to wear a Mai West, which is an inflatable life jacket.

The crew consisted of the Navigator, Blondie Hudson who always flew with his teddy bear tucked into his battle dress jacket. Then there was the Wireless Operator, bomb Aimer and engineer, the Mid-Upper gunner and Rear Gunner who were the Birch brothers. Blondie suggested that I sit at the navigation table so that I had a good view of everything. The table was on Richard’s left.

The weather conditions were slighty cloud with some wind. Take off was reasonably smooth but when we passed over the North Sea it became rather bumpy and the waves were white-tipped. We were on an easterly course towards Denmark. After a short time Richard turned in a westerly direction, which would bring us back to the English coast. The wind increased and became very gusty which made our flight very bumpy. Several of the crew asked me if I felt sick, but I disappointed them.

Looking down at the wheat fields, which were well grown but not yet ripe, we could see that they promised to be a very beautiful harvest. In spite of the gusty winds we had a smooth landing. Later in the evening in the officers’ lounge the air traffic controller said to Richard, “I thought I saw an ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service) girl clambering into the Manchester,” and Richard said, “Oh, yes sir,” what else could he say. But all was well. It was a wonderful experience, which I remember so clearly.
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Kyt · Aug 23, 2008

WISEMAN Richard Castle 402953

AWM Collection Record: UK3181 - London, England. 1945-10-30. RAAF officers 402953 Squadron Leader R. C. Wiseman DFC and Bar of NSW (left) and 400498 Wing Commander P. H. Swan DSO DFC and Bar of Melbourne, Vic, after receiving ...

London, England. 1945-10-30. RAAF officers 402953 Squadron Leader R. C. Wiseman DFC and Bar of NSW (left) and 400498 Wing Commander P. H. Swan DSO DFC and Bar of Melbourne, Vic, after receiving their awards at an Investiture at Buckingham Palace.

liverpool annie · Aug 24, 2008

I LOVE this memorial .....

Women of World War II Memorial, Whitehall, London

This is for Dorothy Wiseman and all the other wonderful "ack ack girls" and all the women who were involved with the War effort !

Annie

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Dorothy's high-flying life

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