 | In excess of 300 lives were lost in and around the
Isle of Man in over 200 flying accidents involving locally based
aircraft, and also many from bases in the UK which used the Island as
a landmark in navigation exercises during the war. |
|
| Apart from Ronaldsway, the RAF constructed two
additional airfields on the Island at Jurby and Andreas. Both were
initially used operationally with, Spitfire, Hurricane and Defiant
squadrons being based there to cover the North Irish Sea area for
shipping patrols and convoy escort. Subsequently, both stations were
converted to training purposes. |
|
| The Island was also utilised by the Navy and Army for
their own training requirements. For the Navy, this involved the
training of some 40,000+ personnel in such tasks as the operation of
radar equipment and medical training etc. For the Army’s part,
Officer Cadet Training Units were set up in Douglas and Port St Mary. |
|
| During the First World War the Island was used as a
detention Centre for German internees, with the main camp being based
at Knockaloe, just south of Peel. Eventually, as the war progressed
the internees were gradually replaced with Prisoners of War. A similar
pattern occurred in WWII, with the Island used for the detention of
German and Italian internees, together with other nationalities
sympathetic to the Nazi cause. Camps were established in different
locations in Douglas and Onchan, with others in Ramsey, Peel, Port
Erin and Port St Mary. |
|
| Highly secret radar sites were built at Dalby,
Scarlett, Cregneash, and Bride and were used as part of the Chain Home
Radar Defence. |
|
| ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service) staff, who were
trained at the Code and Cipher School in Douglas, were to be
based at Bletchley Park and its satellite operations throughout the UK
and overseas. They were involved in the breaking of secret German and
Japanese codes. |
|
| The establishment of the World’s first Area Air
Traffic control system used by the RAF, to control air space over the
Irish Sea, was based in the Ramsey Grammar School buildings. During
the Battle of Britain this same Control Centre served No.9 Group
Fighter Command as a Sector Control. |
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| As with the rest of the UK during the war, the Isle
of Man had Home Guard units set up to protect vital locations. This
subject, together with life in general on the Home Front are areas of
interest and research for the Society. |
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