Editing Norman Wisdom (section)

== Military service ==
In 1930, Wisdom was posted to [[Lucknow]], in the [[United Provinces of British India]],<ref name="TelegraphObit" /> where he served as a band boy.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0936295/bio | title=Norman Wisdom | website=[[IMDb]] }}</ref> During his time there, he learned to ride horses, became the [[flyweight]] boxing champion of the [[British Army]] in India,<ref name="TelegraphObit" /> and taught himself to play a wide range of instruments, including the piano, trumpet, saxophone, flute, drums, bugle, and clarinet.<ref name="MyTurn" />

At the outbreak of the [[World War II|Second World War]], Wisdom was assigned to a communications centre in a command bunker in London. There, he handled telephone connections between war leaders and the [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|prime minister]]. He met [[Winston Churchill]] on several occasions while delivering updates on incoming calls.<ref name="MyTurn" /> He later joined the [[Royal Corps of Signals]], performing similar duties at unit headquarters in [[Cheltenham]], [[Gloucestershire]].

While shadow boxing in an army gym, Wisdom discovered his gift for entertaining.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/3751896.stm|title=Sir Norman takes final stage bow|date=18 October 2004|work=BBC News |access-date=10 October 2010}}</ref> He began honing his skills as a musician and [[performance art|stage entertainer]].<ref name="BBCFool">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/779888.stm|title=Sir Norman: Nobody's fool|date=6 June 2000|work=BBC News |access-date=7 October 2010}}</ref> In 1940, at the age of 25, during a [[NAAFI]] entertainment night, he spontaneously stepped out of the [[orchestra pit]] during a dance routine to perform shadow boxing. Hearing laughter from his fellow soldiers and officers, he added a duck waddle and a series of comic facial expressions. Reflecting on the moment, he recalled: "They were in hysterics. All the officers were falling about laughing."<ref name=GuardWordsWis>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2001/feb/25/features.magazine1|title=Words of Wisdom|first=Burhan |last=Wazie|work=[[The Observer]] |date=25 February 2001|access-date=27 April 2013}}</ref>

Wisdom would later say that this was where he first developed his trademark persona as "The Successful Failure".<ref name=GuardWordsWis /> Over the next few years, until his demobilisation in 1945, his act grew to include his now-famous singing, pratfalls, and stumbling routines. After a performance at a charity concert at [[Cheltenham Town Hall]] on 31 August 1944,<ref>{{cite journal |title=Gloucester Citizen |journal=Gloucester Citizen |date=30 August 1944 |page=7}}</ref> actor [[Rex Harrison]] came backstage and encouraged him to pursue a career as a professional entertainer.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/gloucestershire/3086186.stm|title=Plaque marks comic's time in forces|date=6 September 2003|work=BBC News |access-date=11 October 2010}}</ref>