RAF Andreas

RAF Andreas lay on the flat northern plain of the Isle of Man, in the parish of Andreas, and opened in the latter half of 1941. Built primarily as a fighter station, it came under No. 9 Group within Fighter Command, guarding the sea approaches and shipping lanes of the Irish Sea during the years when convoy protection was a pressing concern. To give returning fighters a clearer approach, the tower of the nearby Kirk Andreas church was famously cut down in height.

For much of 1941 and 1942 the airfield hosted Spitfire units, including the Australian-manned Nos. 457 and 452 Squadrons and the RAF’s No. 93 Squadron, which flew convoy patrols off the Manx coast. A long-standing detachment of No. 275 Squadron provided air-sea rescue cover, while Fleet Air Arm units also made use of the field with a varied mix of types.

From May 1943 the station’s character shifted towards training, becoming home to No. 11 Air Gunnery School, where several thousand air gunners were prepared for operational service using Ansons, Wellingtons, Martinets and Spitfires. Flying training continued until the school wound down and the station closed in the mid-1940s.

After the war the site was bought by the Manx government, and much of its layout, including the control tower and runways, survives. Part of the old airfield remains in use today for gliding and light private aviation.