HMS Valkyrie (shore establishment) facts for kids
HMS Valkyrie No. 1 Radar Training School Royal Navy
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 Isle of Man |
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| Name | HMS Valkyrie |
| Commissioned | October 1941 |
| Decommissioned | 31 December 1946 |
| Nickname(s) | 'The Valkyrie' |
| Fate | Decommissioned and operational elements dispersed |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Stone frigate |
HMS Valkyrie was a special training base for the Royal Navy during World War II. It was located in Douglas, on the Isle of Man. These kinds of shore bases are sometimes called "stone frigates" because they are on land, not actual ships. The base had two main parts: Valkyrie I and Valkyrie II.
Contents
History of HMS Valkyrie
HMS Valkyrie started as the Royal Navy's main school for training people to use Radar. Radar was a new and very important technology during the war. It helped detect enemy ships and planes.
The sailors lived in guest houses in Douglas. The training happened in buildings on Douglas Head. One of these buildings is now used by Manx Radio.
HMS Valkyrie officially opened in October 1941. A lot of money was spent on the radar equipment. It cost about £3,000,000, which would be a huge amount today.
The school worked with a Sea Hurricane airplane. This plane belonged to 772 Squadron of the Fleet Air Arm. It was based at RAF Andreas. The plane would fly near the base to act like an enemy aircraft. This helped the trainees practice using radar in real-life situations.
Sadly, in October 1944, the Hurricane plane crashed on Douglas Head. The pilot, Sub Lieutenant Robert Paton, died in the accident.
During the war, Douglas Head was closed to the public. This meant people could not visit popular spots like Port Soderick using the Marine Drive.
HMS Valkyrie II: Training for D-Day
HMS Valkyrie II opened in September 1943. Its job was to train signal men and wireless telegraphy (radio) operators. These sailors were needed for the landing craft that would be used in D-Day. D-Day was the huge invasion of France.
Other training bases could not train enough people in time. So, men from the Army and RAF were transferred to Valkyrie II. At its busiest, about 2,500 sailors were being trained at once. Each course lasted six months.
Feeding so many people was a big challenge. Food came from naval supplies. It was cooked at the Empress and Palace hotels by civilian workers. The Palace Dance Hall was turned into a giant dining hall. Up to 1,200 sailors could eat there at the same time.
A part of Douglas Beach was also closed off. This was used for outdoor training exercises.
By the time of the Invasion of France (D-Day), Valkyrie II had finished its mission. The base closed down in March 1944.
Closing Down HMS Valkyrie
After the war ended, plans were made to close HMS Valkyrie. This is called decommissioning.
On Monday, December 30, 1946, at 4:00 PM, the White Ensign (the flag of the Royal Navy) was lowered for the last time at HMS Valkyrie. The buildings on Douglas Promenade were emptied. The buildings on Douglas Head were cleared out on January 31, 1947.
During its time, over 30,000 naval sailors passed through HMS Valkyrie. They all learned important radar skills there.
French Sailors at Valkyrie
HMS Valkyrie also trained radar operators from other countries. A group of sailors from the French Navy came to the base for radar training.
This French group arrived when Valkyrie first opened. From June 1943, over 400 French sailors were trained in Douglas. They were led by Lieutenant Jean Colin.
Famous People Who Served Here
- Jon Pertwee: He was an actor who later became famous for playing the Third Doctor in Doctor Who. He served at HMS Valkyrie during the war. While there, he helped start a drama club called the Service Players. He was made an honorary member for life.
See also
- HMS St George
- HMS Urley
- RAF Andreas
- RAF Jurby
- RAF Jurby Head
- RAF Training Flying Control Centre
