RAF Jurby

Royal Air Force Station Jurby or more simply RAF Jurby was a former Royal Air Force station built in the north west of the Isle of Man. It was opened in 1939 on 400 acres (1.6 km2) of land acquired by the Air Ministry in 1937, under the control of No. 29 Group, RAF. During World War II the station was used for training as No 5 Armament Training Station, No 5 Air Observer School, No 5 Bombing & Gunnery School, and the Air Navigation & Bombing School, in addition to a variety of operational squadrons.

Jurby was originally a grass airfield but was later equipped with hard runways. Operationally it helped protect Belfast and Liverpool from German air raids. RAF Jurby closed in 1963.

The main East/West runway is bisected by a road, from when the runway was extended. As the existing road was in the way, the runway was extended over it. To facilitate its use, barriers were placed across the road and the road was closed whilst the runway was in use.

During the 1950s and 60s the No 1 Directorate of Initial Officer Training (DIOT) was based at RAF Jurby, jokingly referred to by the trainee cadets as the "Camp on Blood Island".