RAF Jurby

Royal Air Force Station Jurby or more simply RAF Jurby is a former Royal Air Force station built in the north west of the Isle of Man. It was opened in 1939 on of land acquired by the Air Ministry in 1937, under the control of No. 29 Group, RAF. During the Second World War the station was used for training as No. 5 Armament Training Station, No. 5 Air Observer School, No. 5 Bombing & Gunnery School and the No. 5 Air Navigation & Bombing School. In addition RAF Jurby also played host to a variety of operational squadrons. RAF Jurby was originally a grass airfield but was later equipped with hard runways. Operationally it helped protect Belfast and Liverpool from German air raids, being strategically placed in order to offer fighter protection. During the 1950s and 60s the No. 1 Initial Training School (No. 1 ITS) subsequently replaced by the No. 1 Officer Cadet Training Unit (No. 1 OCTU) was based at RAF Jurby, jokingly referred to by the trainee cadets as "The Camp on Blood Island". Following the closure of the station in 1963, the airfield was used as a diversion for Ronaldsway Airport. To be able to accept Vickers Viscount turboprop airliners the main East–west runway was extended eastwards and bisected by the Ballamenagh Road (A14). To facilitate the use of the extended runway, barriers were placed across the road and the road was closed whilst the runway was in use. As early as 1934 the flat northern plain of the Isle of Man had been identified as a suitable area for the construction of an airfield. This had been borne out by Sir Alan Cobham, who had pinpointed up to six suitable sites between Ballaugh and the Point of Ayre during a survey. This ideal location had led to a site at Close Lake, near the future RAF Jurby, being developed as Hall Caine Airport. As part of the RAF Expansion Scheme the Manx Government was approached by the Air Ministry in 1937 with a view to establishing an Aircraft Armament Training Camp for air crew in the sparsely populated Parish of Jurby.