Andreas

54°22'15"N 004°25'25"W

runway: 06/24 - 1000x46m/1100x50yds - concrete
runway: 11/29 - 1000x46m/1100x50yds - concrete
runway: 17/35 - 1000x46m/1100x50yds - concrete

Andreas airfield (RAF Andreas) is an airfield in the north of the Island of Man, United Kingdom.
The airfield was opened in 1941 as a Fighter command airfield. Its main runway however was slightly larger, and capable of accepting aircraft larger than fighters. The first Royal Air Force personnel began arriving in the summer of 1941. In October the first aircraft arrived, when the Spitfires of 457 Sqn transferred from nearby RAF Jurby. They were joined by Blackburn Skuas from 275 Air Sea Rescue Squadron later that month. Over the next four months the squadrons were mainly training to get a daily routine going at the airfield. During their flights they discovered the 120ft tower of the nearby Andreas Parish Church posed a threat to flying operations. It was too close to the centerline of the main runway and as a result it was lowered to half its original size. By March 1942 RAF Andreas was fully operational. 452 (Australian) Sqdn with Spitfires had arrived to join 457 Sqn. The latter would soon be off to Redhill for operations over Northern France though.
They were both busy intercepting FW-200 Condor patrol aircraft and combatting He111 and Ju88 bombers intercepted by Manx radarstation. Upon the return of 457 Sqn from operations over Northern France, both squadrons embarked for Australia. They were replaced by 93 Sqn, which was to fly Spitfires, having come from Havoc nightfighters. Four months after their conversion they were sent to Algiers in preparation for Operation Torch.
Being without an airgroup, the airfield was largely put on Care and Maintenance. Largely, because two detachments remained active at the airfield. The first was a detachment of 275 Sqn, flying Walrus amphibians in the Air Sea Rescue role over the Irish Sea. The other was a single 772 Sqn (Fleet Air Arm) Vought-Sikorsky Chesapeake, employed to provide radar training to 1 Radar School on Douglas Head.


No photos of the airfield while in RAF use were located

In May of 1943 a new role was found for the airfield and its excellent facilities. It was to become 11 Air Gunnery School of Training Command. The school used 15 Avro Ansons, fitted with a turret normally fitted to Blenheims. Wellington bombers were available for advanced training. Target towing was performed by Miles Masters and Miles Martinets. The Martinets were soon replaced by Spitfires, to simulate true fighter speed attacks. Soon, the skies over the north of the Island were constantly alive with Wellington bombers and Spitfires ducking and diving as well as the constant drone of Ansons and Martinets. Andreas was alive again, and very busy.
From 1944 the airfield gained another role, that of an emergency landing field. Many American bombers were flown across the Atlantic and because of the length of its main runway and the proximity to the ferry route Andreas was ideally placed. There were forced visits from B-17s, B-24s, P-38s, a Martin B-26 and a flight of P-61 Black Widows that had been lost.
Paul Francis on Photobucket

After the war was over in Europe, RAF Andreas continued turning out trained air gunners for the war that was still going on in the Pacific. The instructors were now former POWs that had returned home from captivity in Germany. Aircraft that were becoming surplus to requirements in Europe now began replacing its fleet. Bostons, Corsairs and Mosquitos took their place. Some aircraft were used to train the Naval Air Gunners school at Ronaldsway Naval Air Station. The 722Sqn detachment at Andreas disbanded in September 1945.

11 AGS continued to train air crews. Twenty Wellingtons, along with smaller numbers of Ansons, Spitfires and Martinets could be seen on the dispersals. The only opportunity the local population ever had of visiting their local RAF station came on September 14th 1946 with a Battle of Britain Air Day. By that time it was already known the air station was to close, but the station commander had decided to put up a good show. Unfortunately the weather interfered, and the air display was limited to a Wellington and a Spitfire fly by. A week later the station closed and its buildings were emptied by means of heavy trucks.

As soon as the Royal Air Force left, the Manx Government acquired many of the RAF buildings for conversion to badly needed temporary family accommodation. The Manx Government and the Air Ministry were unsure as to what to do with the airfield. The offer was made by the Air Ministry to purchase the 400 acres of land back for the original price paid collectively to the land owners in 1940: a total of £23,700, including the buildings and services. The Air Ministry did however stipulate that the runways should be kept intact and that no building should take place within the perimeter track.It was transferred to the Isle of Man Government Property Trustees and was put up for auction as a whole entity.
Andreas airfield was purchased by a Mr. Morrey, whose family owns the airfield to this day. The airfield is now farmed, and two of its three runways are used by the Andreas Gliding Club and microlight enthousiasts. The old control tower, the rifle range butts, and many dispersals still remind of the old RAF airfield.
The whole airfield is very recognisable from the air.

The remains of the air traffic control tower in 2003 © Copyright Jon Wornham.


Andreas airfield as it was photographed in 2006 (Google Earth).