Full WW2 control tower details and photos for this wartime airfield are coming soon. Please check back later as this is work progress. If you would like to contribute information or photos please get in touch.
RAF Andreas, built between Andreas and Bride in the north of the Isle of Man, was one of the island’s purpose-built Second World War airfields and a classic example of a place that was quietly effective rather than constantly in the spotlight. Operational from 1941 to 1946, it began life as an austerity-style fighter airfield in the autumn of 1941. Its location made it ideal for patrol and training work over the Irish Sea, away from many of the worst risks of the heavily defended European mainland but still close enough to contribute to the wider defensive and convoy picture.
In its early fighter phase, Andreas is closely associated with Royal Australian Air Force-manned Spitfire units. Nos. 452 and 457 Squadrons operated Spitfires from Andreas and mounted convoy patrols until June 1942. They were followed by the reformed No. 93 Squadron, which carried out a similar role and departed in September 1942. These operations reflect a specific wartime need: protecting shipping and projecting a fighter presence in a zone where enemy reconnaissance and long-range threats were possible, while also giving squadrons valuable hours and operational routine away from the most intense front-line pressure. The Isle of Man also experienced a large number of wartime air incidents across its stations, illustrating that ‘safer’ training and patrol zones still carried risk in poor weather, heavy flying schedules, and busy airspace.
After the main fighter units left, Andreas entered a quieter period, but it did not become redundant. A detachment of No. 275 Squadron arrived shortly after the airfield opened and continued to provide air-sea rescue cover until spring 1944. That rescue role mattered over the Irish Sea where aircraft transits, training flights, and patrols could end abruptly in the water. Then, as the war’s training requirements surged, activity increased sharply with the arrival of No. 11 Air Gunners School (AGS). Formed in 1943 and using the relative safety of sea ranges, the school instructed air gunners over water, initially operating aircraft such as Avro Ansons and Miles Martinets and later also flying other types as requirements evolved. Training air gunners was not a side issue: bomber and maritime crews depended on defensive gunnery skill, crew drills, and the confidence to operate under attack.
Towards the end of the war, Andreas also served as a designated diversion airfield, a role that sounds administrative but could be life-saving when weather or damage prevented safe landing at a primary base. The Air Gunners School moved to nearby Jurby in September 1946 and the station quickly ran down. Even after closure, Andreas retained a strong physical footprint, with runways and structures surviving in significant form, helping modern visitors understand its wartime layout and the scale of its training and support mission. Andreas’ story is therefore not one of famous raids, but of essential cover, rescue readiness, and the steady production of trained aircrew skills over the Irish Sea.
- Early role: Spitfire convoy patrols (Nos. 452 and 457 Sqns; later No. 93 Sqn)
- Support role: air-sea rescue cover (No. 275 Sqn detachment)
- Major training phase: No. 11 Air Gunners School over the Irish Sea