This information board can be found next to the WW11 Bombing Practice Marker Arrow near to the Mona's Queen III Anchor Memorial in Port St. Mary (Purt le Moirrey). (
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The arrow was used by pilots of the Fleet Air Arm based at HMS Urley (now Ronaldsway Airport) between June 1945 and December 1945. The arrow was used 'as a lead-in marker to find a target just offshore.
The arrow which is made of concrete with a slot down the middle, which is today filled with stones, is approximately 65ft long and 6ft wide and its alignment is SSW.
During the War the slot would have contained lights which would have allowed night-time bombing practice.
The bombing target would have been shaped like a submarine conning tower. The target would have been made of wood and mounted on a triangular shaped raft located approximately half a mile off the point.
The Fairey Barracuda aircraft based as HMS Urley would have dropped smoke bombs on the target during daylight. At night a flare would have been dropped first to illuminate the target which would have been followed up with bombs.
Two observation posts, one near to the arrow and the other to the South West at Kione y Ghoggan would have been manned by plotters who would have marked the impacts of the bombs or torpedoes.
The full text of the information board is as follows:
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Purt le Moirrey WWII Bombing Practice Marker ArrowIn World War II HMS Urley (now Ronaldsway Airport) was a Naval Operational Training Unit (OTU). Three Fleet Air Arm Squadrons 710, 713 and 747 were based at HMS Urley from 1943 until the end of hostilities. Using the Fairey Barracuda aircraft, the OTUs role was to train crews in the dive-bombing and torpedo delivery roles. The Barracuda was specially designed, with folding wings, to allow them to be operated from aircraft carriers. 42 Barracudas were involved in the attach on the Tirpitz in 1944. Only 2607 Barracuda aircraft were built and they made a vital contribution to the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm until the mid 1950s.
The bombing practice marker arrow that you can see here was uncovered during work to install the Mona’s Queen III Anchor Memorial. The arrow was used by the pilots as a lead-in marker to find a target just offshore. The arrow is around 65ft long and 6ft wide and is aligned SSW. The slot down the middle had lights and could be illuminated at might. The target was floating on a triangular raft, shaped like a submarine conning tower. It was made of wood and positioned just over half a mile off the Point. During daylight runs the Barracuda would drop smoke bombs and torpedos but at night the crew would drop parachute flares to light the target and them follow up with bombs. There was a Nissan hut as a observation point near to the arrow and there was a second Nissan hut on Kione Y Ghoggan along the coast to the South West. The observation posts were manned by plotters who would mark the impact of the bomb or torpedo.
Each of the Barracudas carried three crew on board. It is believed that at least 20 of these were lost in Training Exercises either here or at another target at Port Soderick. In some cases, leaking hydraulic fluid (which contained ether) sprayed into the pilot’s face as hoses became detached from pressure gauges during a dive. In other crashes as the Barracuda tried to pull out from the attack dive the speed brakes would be retracted and a turn started, but the aircraft would enter a fatal flick spin. Early versions were unpowered compared to the weight of the equipment that they were carrying. A steam trawler was employed as a rescue boat, but the speed of impact meant that crew stood little chance of surviving a crash. In the aftermath of a crash, the fuel floating on the water could be smelt along the seashore.
Locals got used to the sound of the bombers flying over the Port. They used to chase after the parachutes from the flares to salvage the material because of wartime material was rationed. It the wind was blowing the parachutes sometimes ended up as far away as Colby. Some bombs missed their target, one landing at the end of Queen’s Road, leaving a hole in the road. On other occasion, a torpedo was dropped into a garden on Park Road where it bounced across the road and then hit a telegraph pole.
The Information board also displays an aerial black and white photograph of site of the marker with the village of Port St. Mary in the background (provided by Manx National Heritage). Following the text on the board is the logo of Port St. Mary Commissioners who were responsible for the placing of this information board.
Source: Information Board near to the arrow erected by the Purt le Moirrey Board of Commissioners.
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