Jurby Airfield (RAF Jurby)- Jurby, Isle of Man
Posted by: Mike_bjm
N 54° 21.224 W 004° 31.845
30U E 400516 N 6023959
Jurby Airfield (RAF Jurby) was opened at the outbreadk of WWII as a training base.
Waymark Code: WMVHJV
Location: Isle of Man
Date Posted: 04/21/2017
Views: 0
Jurby airfield in the north of the Isle of Man in the Parish of Jurby, also known as RAF Jurby.
The Air Ministry acquired the land where the airfield was to be located in 1937 and the RAF Jurby opened at the outbreak of World War Two on 18 September 1939.
RAF Jurby during WWII was mainly used for training as No.5 Armament Training School, No.5 Air Observer School, No.5 Bombing & Gunnery School and the Air Navigation & Bombing School.
The station was also an operational base and particularly in the summer of 1941.
RAF Jurby was originally a grass airfield but later it was equiped with 2 paved runways which are today clearly visible today particulary on the satellite photograph found at the link below.
In 1947 the station was put on a care and maintenance basia and three years late it became home for No. 1 Initial Training School. This School later became the RAF Officer Cadet Training Unit until it finally closed as RAF station in 1963.
Following the closur of the RAF Station the airfield became a diversion airfield for Ronaldsway airport when it was 'fogged out'.
To allow larger aircraft to land at the airfield, the main runway was lengthened to the east. This caused the runway to cross Sandygate Road, whic could be closed of when aircraft operations were in progress. The airfields role as an alternate ended in March 1973.
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